KUCHING: A total of 27 new international flights will be introduced this year, said Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.
The total number of confirmed new routes includes 16 scheduled flights and 11 chartered flights.
Of these flights, 12 have already started operating, adding more than 100 flights to key destinations across Malaysia.
“This is part of the strategy for Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VM2026), which focuses on direct connections to more medium-sized cities in China to attract more tourists,” he said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Among these routes is a direct flight from Wenzhou, China to Kuala Lumpur, which will begin on June 30, and will also be the inaugural flight of China United Airlines to Malaysia.
“This new route also involves second- and third-tier cities in China such as Wenzhou, Tunxi, and Shijiazhuang,” he said.
In addition, he said two routes were launched in February, which are flights between Xi’an and Kuala Lumpur, and Urumqi and Kuala Lumpur.
He said these flight routes would strengthen the Muslim-friendly tourism initiative while making Malaysia a key transit hub for haj and umrah pilgrims.
Tiong explained 11 of the routes involve connections between China and Malaysia, including four chartered flights introduced for the Chinese New Year celebrations.
“These routes offer direct connections to Tawau, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, and Langkawi,” he added.
During the peak of the Chinese New Year festive season, he said these additional flights recorded a weekly maximum capacity of 3,024 passengers, making a significant contribution to the country’s tourism sector.
