State tourism and creative economy committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said talks to facilitate these flights were ongoing.
He said, so far, 13 international cities have direct flights to Penang.
“Earlier this month, I led a Penang tourism industry delegation to Xiamen, China, and met Xiamen Air representatives to look at joint marketing activities.
“Discussions with Xiamen Air top executives regarding an improvement to the Xiamen-Penang route have been going on since last September and both parties have agreed to it,” he said in a statement today.
Wong said he also visited the IndiGo headquarters in New Delhi, India, to study the opportunity to open more direct flight routes from India to Penang.
He said that he and Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) CEO G Ashwin also met tourism industry representatives in Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai and Kochi to introduce tourism resources and facilities in Penang.
“Penang is also carrying out negotiations with airline companies from Shanghai to discuss the potential of opening direct routes from there to Penang, with the aim of further strengthening collaboration with the markets in China.
“I also visited the China Eastern Airlines and Juneyao Air headquarters in Shanghai when attending the ITB Shanghai tourism exhibition last September,” he said.
He said Penang Global Tourism CEO Ooi Chok Yan and her team had gone to Dubai to meet with the top management of Flydubai to coordinate new flight routes from there to Penang.
These are scheduled to operate in February to further expand the state’s flight connections in the Middle East.
Wong said the additional international flight routes would play a crucial role in expanding the state’s tourism industry.
“This will not only help Penang enhance its position as Asia’s tourism destination but also contribute positively to the state’s economic prosperity.”
He said that up to the end of last year, international cities with direct routes to Penang were Singapore, Bangkok, Phuket, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Medan, Jakarta, Surabaya, Banda Aceh, Taipei, Ho Chi Minh City and Doha.