AirAsia is set to grow its medical tourism business by providing charter flight services from Indonesia, giving patients and medical tourists from Indonesia greater access to medical treatments and health services in Malaysia.
On August 14, AirAsia welcomed its first international medical charter flight from Medan into Penang International Airport. The next medical charter flight from Indonesia will be from Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur on August 24.
The medical charter service will be expanded to other cities in Indonesia and soon develop into an end-to-end service offering under the AirAsia.com platform.
AirAsia.com CEO Karen Chan said that the carrier is committed to connecting people to their critical needs amid Covid-19 travel restrictions.
“These are stressful times for families with members suffering from chronic illnesses that require specialized medical treatments. AirAsia is working closely with medical institutions and government authorities to ensure inbound patients have a seamless traveling experience from Indonesia to Malaysia,” she said.
She added that the airline will continue to work with strategic partners like Island Hospital in Penang, and with the full support of Malaysia Healthcare Travel.
According to Chan, Indonesia as a country accounts for the highest inbound healthcare tourists arriving into Malaysia.