The Chengdu–Penang flight route is among the lucrative routes for the state with 54,700 passenger loads over a year and generating nearly RM30 Million in Tourism Economic Benefits for Penang.
In the one year and four months since its launch on 1 May 2025 to 31 August 2026, the Chengdu–Penang service operated by Sichuan Airlines recorded a total of 376 flights and carried approximately 54,700 passengers, generating nearly RM30 million in tourism economic benefits for Penang.
These encouraging numbers were shared by State Exco for Tourism and Creative Economy YB when speaking at the “Sichuan Airlines – Penang 2027 Route and Sichuan Tourism Products Promotion”.
“The launch of Sichuan Airlines’ Chengdu–Penang direct flight has significantly strengthened connectivity between Sichuan and Penang, while creating greater opportunities for tourism, business and cultural exchanges between the two destinations.
“The route received a strong response from travellers in both markets, prompting Sichuan Airlines to increase its initial frequency of five flights per week to a daily service from Oct 2025 to meet growing demand.
“This strong response reflects the robust travel demand between Sichuan and Penang, while demonstrating the important role of air connectivity in driving tourism exchanges and strengthening links between destinations. These figures are not merely a reflection of the route’s strong operational performance, but also a clear indication of the growing momentum in tourism exchanges between Sichuan and Penang,” he said.
He also shared that Chengdu Tianfu International Airport, an important aviation hub in southwestern China, ranked among China’s top five airports in passenger traffic in 2025, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China’s 2025 National Civil Transport Airport Production Statistics Bulletin.
As an important aviation gateway to southwestern China, Chengdu also offers strong transfer and network connectivity, enabling Penang to reach not only Chengdu but also a wider range of cities and markets through Chengdu as a regional hub.
According to passenger data, Wong noted that passengers travelling to Penang via Chengdu have included travellers from China cities such as Beijing, Zhengzhou, Kunming, Nanjing, Xuzhou, Jinan and Hangzhou, as well as international markets including Russia, Japan, Egypt, Türkiye, Italy, Spain, the United States and Canada.
“Sichuan, with its magnificent landscapes, rich cultural heritage and inland character, and Penang, with its coastal setting, vibrant multicultural heritage and distinctive island experience, offer very different yet highly complementary tourism experiences.
“The more accessible the connectivity, the greater the potential for travellers from Sichuan and other parts of China to discover Penang, while travellers from Penang and Malaysia will also have greater opportunities to experience the diverse tourism offerings of Sichuan,” he added.