LANGKAWI, 9 February 2024: Langkawi welcomed 178 tourists from Chengdu this week on the year’s first charter flight from Chengdu, China.
The direct flight is part of an ongoing charter series featuring Langkawi, Malaysia. It involves eight charter flights to Langkawi, bringing in an estimated 1,480 visitors, the Langkawi Development Authority reported this week. Flights will originate in Chengdu, the capital of southwestern China’s Sichuan province.
Batik Air Malaysia OD611 flew the first of the charter series from Chengdu, departing at 0347 on 5 February and arriving in Langkawi at 0738. Flight time was three hours and 49 minutes.
In 2023, Langkawi welcomed as many as 10 special charter flights secured by LADA’s attractive incentive packages for special charter flights. LADA also offers additional incentives for direct and scheduled flights from new destinations to Langkawi based on airlines pledging to maintain a flight schedule for at least one year.
LADA chief executive officer YBhg Dato’ Haslina Abdul Hamid and Tourism Malaysia senior director of domestic and events Mohd Amin Yahya jointly welcomed the arrival of the year’s first charter flight on 5 February.
The Langkawi District Office, Batik Air party, MAHB staff, Langkawi tourism industry players, and others participated in the celebration that was made more lively and spectacular by traditional Malay cultural performances and lion dances from the Langkawi Chung Hwa Association ahead of the Chinese New Year celebrations that get underway this weekend.
To speed up airline connectivity to Langkawi, LADA is continuing negotiations with a leading travel agency in Poland, which is planning at least 30 direct flights to Langkawi from Poland from October to March annually, repeated annually over three years. October to March are peak months to attract Europeans who escape the northern hemisphere winter for the warmer climate of tropical Asian destinations.
LADA presents attractive incentives to secure a breakthrough and seal the Poland charter series deal. LADA said it was confident that as all parties in the tourism industry continue to improve the quality of service and the level of hospitality, the island destination will be ready to welcome visitors through more direct scheduled and charter flights.
