PENANG’s tourism connectivity with China has received a boost with the launch of a direct air route between Haikou and Penang, opening up further opportunities for tourism, trade and economic cooperation between the two destinations.
State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the new route, operated by Hainan Airlines, made Haikou the ninth city in China with scheduled direct flights to Penang.
“The launch of the Haikou–Penang route extends Penang’s air connectivity to Hainan, China’s southernmost province, further strengthening links between Penang and South China,” he said in a statement.
Wong said China was currently Penang’s second-largest tourism source market, with considerable potential for further growth.
He said the direct flights would offer travellers from Hainan greater convenience when visiting Penang for holidays, family visits and business, while enabling tourism operators on both sides to develop joint travel products and attract more visitors.
The inaugural flight, HU477, departed Haikou Meilan International Airport at 5.30pm on Oct 11 and arrived at Penang International Airport at 8.28pm the same day, bringing 110 passengers to Penang.
The return flight, HU478, departed Penang at 9.45pm and was scheduled to arrive in Haikou at 1am the following day.
The route currently operates twice weekly, on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Wong said Penang and Hainan had maintained friendly state-province relations since 2013, while Penang Island and Sanya established friendly-city ties in 2017.
He said the new air link would strengthen these longstanding relationships by facilitating greater people-to-people exchanges and expanding cooperation at the city and provincial levels.
Beyond tourism, Wong said both destinations could leverage their complementary economic strengths to explore new areas of trade and industrial collaboration.
“The Hainan Free Trade Port is an important platform for China’s opening-up. Penang, meanwhile, is a major electronics manufacturing centre, semiconductor hub and regional logistics gateway in Malaysia.
“With each destination offering distinct industrial strengths, there is considerable potential to explore further economic and trade cooperation,” he said.
He added that the new route could facilitate closer business engagement in areas such as trade, supply-chain integration and logistics connectivity, creating opportunities for mutually beneficial development.
Wong said the new connection was particularly significant amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and uncertainty affecting international tourism markets.
He said it reflected the state government’s continued efforts to strengthen Penang’s international air connectivity and deepen cooperation with key tourism markets, while creating opportunities for local hotels, restaurants, retailers and tourism service providers.
He also stressed the importance of preparing for future growth, particularly following the completion of the Penang International Airport expansion project.
“The Penang government will continue to work closely with airlines to expand international routes serving Penang and enhance the state’s air connectivity and accessibility.
“More importantly, we must plan ahead and prepare for the increased capacity and long-term development opportunities that will follow the completion of the Penang International Airport expansion project.
“This will help further strengthen Penang’s position as a regional tourism and aviation hub,” he said.