To further ensure Penang’s air connectivity with South China and strengthen the movement of people, trade and exchanges between the two regions, Penang State Exco for Tourism and Creative Economy YB Wong Hon Wai led a Penang state government delegation on a visit to the headquarters of China Southern Airlines in Guangzhou, Guangdong, where the delegation met with senior airline executives.
Both sides exchanged views on deepening aviation cooperation and expanding the Chinese tourism market for Penang.
Wong said: “This visit is aimed at turning engagement into concrete cooperation and dialogue into opportunities for development, further strengthening the partnership between the Penang State Government and China Southern Airlines, while laying a solid foundation for broader cooperation in the future.”
He said that, according to information shared by China Southern Airlines executives during the meeting, China Southern Airlines is one of China’s largest airlines in terms of fleet size, with one of the country’s most extensive route networks and the highest annual passenger volume. Its scheduled passenger network covers more than 150 cities across China and extends to numerous countries and regions around the world.
“Guangzhou is not only an important international aviation hub in China, but also a major aviation gateway and a significant source market in South China. Coupled with China Southern Airlines’s extensive and well-connected domestic route network, the strategic significance of the Guangzhou–Penang direct route goes beyond connecting two cities. It enables Penang to leverage Guangzhou as a hub to connect with tourism markets across China, creating favourable conditions for Penang to tap into a much broader China tourism market,” he said.
“In view of this, China Southern Airlines’s Guangzhou–Penang direct service not only brings visitors from Guangzhou and South China to Penang, but also plays a crucial role in connecting Penang with other cities across China through Guangzhou as a transit hub. With China Southern Airlines’s extensive domestic network, travellers from other China cities can connect through Guangzhou to reach Penang, further expanding the reach of Penang’s tourism market across China,” Wong added.
He added that Penang currently has scheduled direct air connectivity with eight cities in China, namely Guangzhou, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Qingdao and Chongqing. With the scheduled Haikou–Penang direct service expected to commence in October, the number of Chinese cities with scheduled direct connectivity to Penang will increase to nine.
“China Southern Airlines’s Guangzhou–Penang direct flight not only serves to bring visitors to Penang, but also facilitates outbound travel for Penang residents. According to forward-looking booking data from Trip.com, Guangzhou ranks as the most popular outbound travel destination among Malaysians for the second half of 2026.”
“In addition, Penang currently has two direct charter services from Guiyang and Kunming, bringing the total to a ‘9+2’ China air connectivity network,” he said.
He said the Penang State Government would continue to adopt an open and proactive approach by engaging airlines actively, with the aim of further strengthening and expanding Penang’s air connectivity with China.
Wong further pointed out that, according to the 2025 Statistical Bulletin on the Production of Civil Transport Airports Nationwide published by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the five Chinese airports with the highest passenger throughput in 2025 were located in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shenzhen and Chengdu.
“Penang has already established direct connectivity with the cities served by four of these five major airports,” he said.
Wong added that China Southern Airlines is currently focused on developing Guangzhou and Beijing as two major comprehensive international aviation hubs, while in Beijing, China Southern Airlines is one of the largest base carriers at Beijing Daxing International Airport.
“Given its strong network and hub advantages, China Southern Airlines is well positioned to provide strong connectivity between the two major hubs,” he said.
“China Southern Airlines executives also shared with me that there are as many as 14 flights operating between Beijing and Guangzhou each day, providing frequent and efficient connectivity between the two major aviation hubs. This means that even while a direct Beijing–Penang service remains under discussion, China Southern’s existing Guangzhou–Beijing flight network can serve as an effective transit connection, providing travellers from Beijing and northern China with convenient access to Penang,” Wong added.
He also highlighted the longstanding history of cooperation between Penang and China Southern, noting that China Southern Airlines launched its Guangzhou–Penang direct service 35 years ago, on 3 April 1991.
“At the time, it was the only direct air link between Penang and China, and played a pivotal role in the development of Penang’s aviation connectivity and tourism exchanges with China. China Southern Airlines’s decision to launch the Guangzhou–Penang route was more than simply an aviation network expansion. It also played an indispensable role in laying the foundation for the close and enduring relationship between Penang and Guangzhou, as well as between Penang and Guangdong,” he said.
Wong said the Guangzhou–Penang route, operated by China Southern Airlines for the past 35 years, has served as an important bridge connecting the two regions, contributing to increasingly close exchanges in tourism, trade, economic and people-to-people relations.
“Over the past 35 years, this route has witnessed the evolution of Penang and Guangzhou from being connected by air to becoming closely linked through people-to-people exchanges and increasingly integrated interactions,” he said.
Wong said the Penang State Government would continue to deepen its cooperation with China Southern Airlines, leveraging the airline’s extensive route network and aviation hub strengths to strengthen connectivity, broaden the aviation network and expand Penang’s visitor base, ” he said.