Penang State Exco for Tourism and Creative Economy (PETACE), Wong Hon Wai, announced that the Chengdu Tianfu–Penang direct route operated by Sichuan Airlines has achieved encouraging results since its inaugural flight on April 30, 2025.
With the release of the airline’s Winter Schedule, Sichuan Airlines will increase the service frequency from 5 times weekly to daily flights, effective from late October 2025 until March 2026.
Flight 3U3911 from Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU) will depart daily at 7:40 PM (local time) and arrive at Penang International Airport (PEN) at 12:05 AM (local time) the following day. The return service, flight 3U3912, will depart Penang at 1:00 AM (local time) and arrive in Chengdu at 5:10 AM (local time).
Wong further highlighted that direct scheduled flights from China to Penang are currently operated by 9 airlines, connecting 6 cities in China: Chengdu (Sichuan Airlines), Xiamen (Xiamen Airlines), Guangzhou (China Southern Airlines), Shenzhen (Shenzhen Airlines and AirAsia), Hong Kong (Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong Express), and Shanghai (Juneyao Airlines and Shanghai Airlines). He noted that these connections broadly cover East China, South China, and Southwest China, creating a robust and well-connected aviation network.
“At present, there are 61 weekly scheduled flights between Penang and various Chinese cities. With the upgrade of the Chengdu–Penang route to daily service, the total will rise to 63 weekly flights,” he added.
Between January and July 2025, Penang welcomed 121,030 Chinese visitors arriving by international flights. This represents a significant increase compared to 59,420 visitors in the same period of 2024, marking a 103.7% year-on-year growth. The figure is even more striking when compared with 16,480 visitors in the same period in 2023, reflecting a surge of 634.4% —more than a sixfold increase.
“These remarkable numbers demonstrate the strong demand from the Chinese market and reaffirm Penang’s unique appeal as a premier international tourism destination,” Wong added.