Batam-Penang flights take off: Batik Air’s direct route is live

Batam-Penang flights began on Sunday, 18 October. Batik Air flew its first direct service between the two cities, Buletin Mutiara reported. Bernama described it as the first scheduled direct air link between them.

The flights run three times a week. Penang tourism chief Wong Hon Wai says the route could draw leisure, health and business visitors from the Riau Islands.

Here is the schedule, the tourism data and the gaps that remain.

Batam-Penang flights: Schedule and booking

Flight OD359 left Hang Nadim airport in Batam at 11.30am local time, Buletin Mutiara reported. It landed at Penang airport at 1.40pm.

However, Bernama listed a scheduled arrival of 1.55pm when the route was announced in August. The reports do not explain the 15-minute difference.

The flight back, OD358, leaves Penang at 10.10am. It arrives at Hang Nadim at 10.50am local time, Bernama reported.

Flights run on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, Buletin Mutiara said. Bernama gave only the frequency of three times a week.

Passengers can book on the Batik Air website. Batik Air also flies between Kuala Lumpur and Batam seven times a week, The Star reported.

The Star first reported on 16 September that Batik Air would open Batam and Bali routes in October. The Batam route is now live.

In addition, Pocket News reported promotional fares of up to 25 per cent off until 25 October. Batik Air has not published base fares.

Why Penang wants Riau Islands visitors

The new Batam-Penang flights make Batam the fifth Indonesian city with a direct link to Penang. The others are Jakarta, Surabaya, Banda Aceh and Medan.

“Indonesia has long been an important part of Penang’s tourism story,” Wong said at the launch. He called it the state’s top source of international arrivals. He said it also ranks first for direct flight frequency.

He cited 340,274 Indonesian arrivals through Penang airport on direct international flights from January to November 2025. China ranked second, with 193,215 arrivals over the same period.

Immigration figures show 369,088 Indonesian arrivals in 2024. That was up 6.74 per cent from 345,786 in 2023. More recently, Bernama reported 201,657 arrivals from January to July 2026, up 4.58 per cent from 192,823 a year earlier.

Wong led a tourism roadshow to Batam the week before. The Penang team met travel partners and promoted the state.

“The roadshow helped introduce the possibilities,” he said. “This direct service now makes it easier for travellers to experience them.” He said the state will work with airline and travel partners on tour packages.

Who the route is for and what is unknown

Health travel is a stated aim. Wong said the service should give Indonesians more convenient access to treatment in Penang. It should also encourage leisure, business and family visits.

Penang’s medical tourism sector treated 527,176 foreign patients at 16 private hospitals in 2025. That was up 25.94 per cent from 418,608 in 2024.

The sector earned about RM1.14 billion, according to figures Wong reported in May. However, the figures cover international patients of all nationalities, not just Indonesians.

Wong also pointed to George Town’s Unesco World Heritage Site, Penang Hill and local food. He said the route could encourage more Penang residents to visit Batam. He added that it supports Visit Malaysia 2026, Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026 and Visit Malaysia 2027.

Batik Air chief executive Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy said Batam is an important destination for Malaysian travellers. The Star quoted him.

Meanwhile, the reports give no numbers on patients from Batam. They also omit seat numbers, aircraft type and base fares.