Tourism Sector Adds New Routes, Both Near and Far, as Connectivity Push Continues

Malaysia’s air connectivity continues to expand with new carriers including Juneyao Airlines, Chongqing Airlines and Qingdao Airlines, alongside Lufthansa’s Frankfurt–Kuala Lumpur service launching in October, according to Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Ammar Abd Ghapar.

He noted Malaysia now has direct flights from Algeria, opening access to the North African market, with good potential also seen in Egypt and Morocco. Talks are ongoing with Thai carriers such as Nok Air and Thai Vietjet, while TransNusa is looking to increase its Malaysia services.

Ammar described strong air connectivity as one of the most critical pillars of tourism growth and international competitiveness, noting that Tourism Malaysia works with Malaysia Aviation Group, Malaysia Airports Holdings, and both full-service and low-cost carriers through joint marketing and route-support programmes. He pointed to the Charter Flight Matching Grant (GSPC) and other route-development incentives as key tools for encouraging airlines to expand services to secondary destinations.

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