SEPANG, Sept 18 (Bernama) — Malaysia is looking at increasing the number of direct flights to and from Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport (CGO) in Henan, China, as part of efforts to enhance connectivity and boost tourism, trade and investment.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said today that improved air links are vital to unlocking economic opportunities between Malaysia and Henan province, which has a population of more than 100 million people.
“We are encouraging our local airlines to increase flights between Malaysia and Zhengzhou, not necessarily just Kuala Lumpur. We are talking about other cities as well, such as Penang, Johor, Kota Kinabalu or Kuching.
“We hope to promote Malaysia more aggressively to Henan province. China has a population of 1.4 billion, and this province alone has 100 million people. We must take this opportunity to attract tourists from this market,” he told a press conference after attending the Zhengzhou-Kuala Lumpur Air Silk Road Forum for International Cooperation here.
The minister said both cargo and passenger traffic are important pillars of bilateral engagement, with local carrier Raya Airways already operating daily cargo services between the two cities. “We need to have more connectivity, we need more direct flights. Right now, one daily flight is not enough. We hope that other airlines will step in to offer additional direct services,” he added.
Loke also stressed that customs clearance procedures must be streamlined to support Malaysia’s twin-hub air cargo cooperation with China, linking Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport.
This, he said, would be crucial in positioning KLIA as a regional transhipment hub and in attracting more ASEAN countries to route their cargo through Malaysia.
“The important thing is to ensure efficiency. In China, they are simplifying customs clearance for goods entering from Kuala Lumpur. At our end in KLIA, we must also be prepared with the right infrastructure and efficient processes, including customs clearance,” he highlighted.
Loke said the Transport Ministry and Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) will consult the Customs Department on simplifying procedures. He added that streamlining processes will increase efficiency, reduce costs and make Malaysia a preferred hub for ASEAN countries to channel cargo to China.
“Direct routes may be more difficult and expensive. Our advantage lies in Malaysia’s strong connectivity within ASEAN. Airlines such as Malaysia Airlines, Batik Air and AirAsia already serve extensive networks, including more than 10 destinations in Indonesia. We must leverage this strength to reinforce KLIA’s role as a regional hub,” he said.
— BERNAMA
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