Tuesday, July 9, 2024
reading time: 2 minutes
Starting September 15, 2024, Air India will introduce daily direct flights connecting Delhi to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, using a two-class Airbus A320neo aircraft. This new route not only provides an additional travel option for the growing traffic between India and Malaysia, but also expands Air India’s presence in Southeast Asia, making its global network more accessible to Malaysian travellers.
The World Travel & Tourism Council’s Economic Impact Research 2024 highlights a historic year for Malaysia’s tourism sector, with expectations of surpassing pre-pandemic achievements in economic contribution, employment and domestic tourism spending. The sector is expected to contribute RM198.7 billion to the national economy – a 1.6% increase from 2019 and accounting for 10.5% of GDP. Employment in the sector is also set to rise to more than 2.4 million jobs, representing a 5.2% increase from last year and surpassing the 2019 peak of 5.3%.
Domestic visitor spending is forecast to reach RM106.5 billion, a significant jump from previous years, while international spending is forecast to rise to RM93.7 billion, up 27.8% from 2023, but still slightly below 2019 levels of 6.2%.
This growth is supported by the Malaysian government’s Visit Malaysia 2026 initiative, a strategic plan to attract global tourists in the coming years.
The new service will further strengthen the thriving tourism and trade ties between India and Malaysia. In addition to catering to passengers travelling directly between the two countries, the route will also offer convenient connections from Europe and North America, enhancing access to Malaysia’s attractions for passengers travelling from the US, Canada, UK and Europe via Delhi.
Currently, Air India operates direct flights from India to five destinations in Southeast Asia: Singapore; Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand; Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam; and Yangon in Myanmar. Bookings for the new Kuala Lumpur service are now open on Air India’s website and through global travel agents.
Tags: Air India, Airline News, Daily Direct Flights, Delhi, Economic Impact Research, Global Network, Indian Airline News, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, New Route, Southeast Asia, Tourism Sector, World Travel and Tourism Council