A NEW direct flight connecting Penang and Chengdu will begin on March 8 following a year’s coordination effort by the state government with AirAsia and China.
State Tourism Development, Arts, Culture and Heritage Committee (PETACH) chairman Yeoh Soon Hin said the direct flight would foster tourism growth.
“Now, we’re excited to announce that AirAsia will be commencing their inaugural flight on March 8 at a frequency of three times a week,” Yeoh told a press conference at his service centre in Paya Terubong on Jan 11.
“This is a golden opportunity for local travel agents to offer new tourism packages to attract China nationals to travel to Penang and vice versa.
“While strengthening our promotional efforts in southern China, we are also working on establishing the branding of Penang as a tourism destination in many China cities.”
The flight takes about four hours. It departs from Penang at 10.55pm every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and arrives in Chengdu at 2.55am.
On the other hand, AirAsia flies from Chengdu Province to Penang every Monday, Thursday and Saturday by departing at 3.55am and arriving in Penang at 8.15am.
This is the second direct flight for Penang announced within a week by Yeoh as Taiwan’s Starlux Airlines has confirmed making their maiden flight on Jan 23. Starlux would start off with one direct flight daily connecting Penang and Taipei.
Two months ago, Shenzhen Airlines started their direct flights from Shenzen to Penang.
Yeoh said the signing of a memorandum of friendship and cooperation between MBPP and Chengdu on Dec 15, 2018 marked the beginning of the planning and discussion process for the Chengdu-Penang flight.
Last February, Yeoh led a delegation to visit the deputy mayor of Chengdu Municipal People’s Government and they made a reciprocal visit last October.
Yeoh continued to follow up with the China government as well as negotiate with AirAsia to make the direct flight a reality.
Kenneth Tan, the AirAsia government relations manager for northern region, said he appreciated Yeoh’s efforts not only to boost tourism but also to provide many business opportunities.
“Just like Penang, Chengdu has many factories and businesses. We want to acknowledge the hard work done by Yeoh and PETACH.
“I hope all tourism playeres will work hard to make Penang one of the safest destinations. I also urge our players to up their game like providing a clean environment. It’s not easy to launch this direct flight,” Tan said.
He added that all-in fares from Penang to Chengdu start from RM99 and are available for booking on airasia.com and the AirAsia mobile app until Jan 19, for travel between March 8 and March 28, 2020.
For the special Chengdu inaugural launch, Tan said travellers could get return flights with three-day, two-night hotel stays starting from as low as RM332 per pax up through SNAP on airasia.com.
Best known as home to the adorable giant pandas, Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, is a thriving city with plenty to do and taste.
Some of the must-visit attractions include the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Jinli Ancient Street, the Leshan Giant Buddha and Wenshu Monastery.
While George Town is the Unesco world heritage site, Chengdu is the Unesco City of Gastronomy. Among their popular Chinese dishes are Mapo Tofu and Kung Pao Chicken. Travellers can also choose to unwind by enjoying aromatic tea at any of the local teahouses.
Chengdu is also a gateway to the western territories of China, including Tibet.
Story by Danny Ooi