Deputy Chairman of Tourism Malaysia, Dato Yeoh Soon Hin shared exciting news:a direct flight from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, China, to Penang will commence on April 30 this year, coinciding with the Golden Week holiday in China. This is expected to attract a significant number of tourists from Sichuan to Malaysia.
Yeoh revealed that Sichuan Airlines will depart from Chengdu Tianfu International Airport at 7:40 PM on April 30 and arrive at Penang International Airport at 12:05 AM on May 1. The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Malaysia and Tourism Malaysia have fully supported the launch of this route. This is the result of long-term collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and Tourism Malaysia with Sichuan Airlines.
Yeoh emphasized that this inaugural flight is significant because it marks the first time a Sichuan-based airline is directly connecting Penang with Sichuan Province, further promoting cooperation between Malaysia and China in the tourism and aviation sectors. This will also be Sichuan Airlines’ second route in Malaysia. On March 31, Sichuan Airlines began its direct flight from Chengdu to Kuala Lumpur. The Chengdu-Penang direct flight will be Sichuan Airlines’ second route in Malaysia.
Yeoh disclosed that Sichuan Airlines will be using Airbus A321 Neo and A320 aircraft for this route. The flight from Chengdu to Penang, operating under flight number 3U3911, will depart from Chengdu Tianfu Airport at 7:55 PM and arrive at Penang International Airport at 12:05 AM local time. It will operate every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The return flight, number 3U3912, will depart from Penang at 1:00 AM local time and arrive back in Chengdu at 5:10 AM Beijing time. It will operate every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Recently, Yeoh led a delegation from Tourism Malaysia to visit Sichuan Airlines’ headquarters in Chengdu, where they met with Zhao Feng, Vice Chairman of Sichuan Airlines. In addition to finalizing the direct flight project from Chengdu to Penang, both parties established a cooperation agreement regarding the route and discussed future market promotion strategies to strengthen cultural and tourism cooperation between Malaysia and China.
“Sichuan Airlines has committed during discussions that, in addition to the Kuala Lumpur and Penang routes, it will explore the potential for direct flights between Chengdu and other Malaysian cities, particularly in line with the goal of welcoming more tourists for the 2026 Visit Malaysia Year,” Yeoh said.
Yeoh pointed out that in December 2018, when he was the Penang State Tourism Executive Councillor, he facilitated the signing of an international friendship cooperation agreement between Penang City and Chengdu. In 2020, AirAsia was planning to launch a direct flight from Penang to Chengdu, but the global COVID-19 pandemic forced the suspension of the airline industry, and the Penang-Chengdu route was canceled. Yeoh expressed his satisfaction that, six years later, he is now able to witness and complete the direct flight launch between the two cities in a different capacity.
Yeoh believes that the opening of the Chengdu-Penang direct flight not only establishes an “express route” between Penang and Chengdu but also benefits travelers from northern Malaysia and northern Perak, making travel between northern Malaysia and Sichuan more convenient and comfortable. It will also promote tourism, trade, education, and cultural exchanges between northern Malaysia and Southwest China, including Sichuan Province’s government, people, and businesses. This direct flight from Chengdu to Penang is the second direct flight route between Penang and a city in Western China, following the launch of the Penang-Xi’an route earlier this year.
Chengdu, located in central Sichuan Province, is the provincial capital and one of China’s first national historical and cultural cities. It is also an important central city in Southwest China. According to the latest data, Chengdu’s permanent population reached 21.403 million in 2024, with the city’s GDP ranking seventh among all Chinese cities. Chengdu is a strong economic, technological, and financial center in Western China. The city has a rich history and vibrant culture, being the birthplace of the ancient Shu civilization, the center of the “Land of Abundance,” and the capital of the Shu Han Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period. Chengdu is also the hometown of famous Tang Dynasty poets such as Du Fu and Li Bai. The giant panda, Sichuan cuisine, face-changing performances, and hotpot are some of the city’s most well-known cultural symbols and representations.