In anticipation of the longest consecutive holidays in China combining the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day, Penang State Exco for Tourism and Creative Economy made a trip to Kuala Lumpur to meet up with various airline representatives to further promote Penang as their preferred destination.
The Mid-Autumn Festival holiday will run from 25 to 27 September, followed by the China National Day “Golden Week” from 1 to 7 October. With the two public holiday periods linked together, China travelers can enjoy up to 13 consecutive days off through adjusted working days or additional leave.
The meeting was held over a Mid-Autumn Festival gathering.
“The occasion also served as an opportunity for in-depth discussions with the airlines to better understand passenger load and market trends for direct flights to Penang during the upcoming 13 days China’s Holiday. This will enable stakeholders across Penang’s tourism industry to gain an early understanding of anticipated visitor trends, make timely preparations and stay ahead of the curve in gearing up for the peak outbound travel season from China.
“The engagement with representatives of Chinas’ airlines in Malaysia is primarily aimed at undertaking short- and medium-term planning for Penang’s tourism industry in the China market. Apart from preparing for the upcoming peak outbound travel season from China, we are also looking ahead to the winter flight schedule from the end of this year to early next year,” said Wong.
He also took the opportunity to lead Penang Global Tourism (PGT) in engaging with representatives of China’s airlines in Malaysia, listening to industry concerns and strengthening collaboration. While consolidating existing routes, Penang is also actively planning the further expansion of its air connectivity with China. PGT was represented by its Chief Executive Officer, Ooi Chok Yan and his team.
“In recent years, the number of direct routes between China and Penang has continued to grow. In view of this, the Penang State Government is adopting a proactive and forward-planning approach. Apart from continuing to actively engage the China market and establish closer ties with the aviation industry there, the State Government also specifically arranged this engagement to bring together representatives of most China’s airlines based in Malaysia, strengthening communication and coordination between the State Government and the airlines. By connecting the various stakeholders and facilitating the exchange of information, we aim to build closer and more sustainable partnerships, creating more favourable conditions for Penang to continuously expand its aviation network and tourism market in China.”
“Penang currently has direct air connectivity with several major cities in China, including Guangzhou (China Southern Airlines), Xiamen (Xiamen Airlines), Hong Kong (Cathay Pacific and HK Express), Shanghai (Shanghai Airlines), Shenzhen (Shenzhen Airlines), Chengdu (Sichuan Airlines), and Qingdao (Qingdao Airlines). Notably, Hainan Airlines will also launch an inaugural direct Haikou–Penang route on 11 October 2026, further strengthening the air connectivity between Penang and cities across China.”
“While consolidating existing routes and ensuring stable flight operations, an equally important objective of this engagement is to further establish ties with representatives of China’s airlines in Malaysia, particularly those that do not currently operate direct flights to Penang. Through these engagements, we seek to build common ground and explore opportunities to establish direct air connectivity between Penang and more China cities that are not currently served by direct routes, thereby laying the groundwork for Penang’s future expansion of its aviation network in China and diversification of its visitor markets.”
“At present, direct connectivity between Penang and cities in Northern China remains relatively limited. Among cities in Northern China, Qingdao is currently the only city with a direct flight connection to Penang. Therefore, Penang aims to broaden its coverage of the China tourism market and extend its aviation network to more cities in northern China. This Mid-Autumn Festival gathering provided an important platform for the Penang State Government to convey to the China’s aviation industry its strong interest and intention to further explore routes to northern China. It also lays a solid foundation for the next stage of discussions on the potential opening of direct flights between Penang and more cities in northern China.” he concluded.