By V. Sivaji
AirAsia’s inaugural flight from Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, China to the Penang International Airport (PIA) was greeted with the customary water salute earlier this morning.
This new route makes it the eighth city to have direct flight connectivity between China and Penang. Flight no AK1691 touched down at PIA at 8.53am after a delay of more than one hour.
They were given the traditional kompang welcome and also given goody bags upon arrival by the State Exco for Tourism and Creative Economy YB Wong Hon Wai and team.
Also present was Ken Tan, AirAsia director for Northern Region, YB Teh Lai Heng, assemblyman for Komtar, Puan Zuraidah Abu Bakar, deputy director of Tourism Malaysia, Dato Tony Goh, Malaysian Association of Hotel Penang Chapter chairman, Penang Global Tourism chief executive officer, Ooi Chok Yan among others.
This new direct flight from Shenzhen to Penang will operate four times a week, specifically on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Similarly, the flights from Penang to Shenzhen will also operate four times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
In his address Wong shared that according to data released by the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government Office, by the end of 2023, Shenzhen’s resident population stood at 17.79 million.
“Therefore, the opening of a second direct flight route from Shenzhen to Penang undoubtedly opens the door to a broader market for Penang. The substantial population and strong purchasing power of Shenzhen present significant development opportunities for Penang’s tourism and retail sectors.
“The rich tourism resources and favourable investment environment of Penang will complement Shenzhen’s robust economic strength, making this new direct flight a catalyst for increased collaboration between the two regions.
He also hailed AirAsia’s key role in Penang’s aviation network and as the airline with the most direct routes operating from Penang, AirAsia connects the state to five major cities in Malaysia and seven major international cities, greatly enhancing connectivity between Penang and various domestic and international destinations.
Shenzhen, known as China’s Silicon Valley, is home to several Fortune 500 technology giants such as Huawei, Tencent and BYD. It is also a major hub for the gold and jewellery industry in China.
Wong also expressed confidence that Penang will welcome more tourists from the Greater Bay Area in China.
Meanwhile, Dato’ Captain Fareh Mazputra, Managing Director of AirAsia Malaysia welcomed the AirAsia inaugural flight from Shenzhen to Penang.
“We are pleased to witness the launch of another new route to China, this time from our third largest hub, Penang, in Malaysia. It is exciting to welcome our guests aboard the inaugural flight from this vibrant city to Penang, which boasts a rich cultural heritage and mouth-watering local delicacies.
“As the largest foreign low-cost carrier in China, we strongly believe we can attract more Chinese tourists to the city, especially with the government’s visa-free initiative for up to 15 days, valid until the end of next year. We look forward to launching more routes from this hub to support the state’s tourism goals, enhance the travel experience, and provide more affordable travel options across the region for our guests”, he said in a statement.
