Tourism Malaysia and MAHB Celebrate Inaugural Turkmenistan Airlines Flight to Kuala Lumpur

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Tourism Malaysia and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) enthusiastically celebrated the arrival of the first Turkmenistan Airlines flight from Ashgabat to Kuala Lumpur. This event introduces the second Central Asian carrier to establish direct air links with Kuala Lumpur.

The launch was honored by the presence of the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, YB Dato Sri Tiong King Sing, and the Turkmenistan Ambassador to Malaysia, His Excellency Mr. Muhammetnyyaz Mashalov. They, along with Turkmenistan Airlines representatives, welcomed the 228 arriving passengers. A ceremonial water cannon salute and a welcoming party in national costumes of both countries highlighted the event.

Offering services twice a week, the flights are conducted using Boeing 777-200LR/777-300ER planes, which can accommodate 289 and 368 passengers respectively. Flights depart Ashgabat every Wednesday and Thursday, enhancing travel links significantly between Central Asia and Malaysia. The journey to Kuala Lumpur takes approximately 8 hours and 10 minutes, facilitating easy access to the bustling Malaysian capital.

In its pursuit to boost tourism, Tourism Malaysia is forging strategic partnerships with international carriers to attract more visitors from Central Asia, in line with the objectives of Visit Malaysia Year 2026, which aims to draw 35.6 million tourists.

Between January and November 2023, Malaysia saw a significant increase in tourists from Central Asia, with a total of 21,910 visitors marking a 196.7% rise over the previous year. Russian tourist arrivals also increased dramatically, with 100,645 visitors recorded during the same timeframe, a 360% increase from 2022 and a 39.5% rise over pre-pandemic figures in 2019.

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