The ministry of civil aviation has asked airlines to do a  feasibility study to operate direct flights from Chennai to  Penang, a province in Malaysia.

The decision was conveyed by the minister of civil aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia in a letter to Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin. This was in response to  a letter written by Stalin to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on February 11. He had stressed on the importance of having a direct flight to Penang because of the presence of the Tamil diaspora and the cultural and trade ties between Penang and Tamil Nadu.

Penang has been pushing the Indian government for direct flight connectivity from Chennai.

During a road show in the city last month, Ashwin Gunasekeran, CEO, Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau said, "The Penang state government will offer a cash incentive to any airline for operating direct connecting flights from any city in India to Penang."