Tiong welcomes China Eastern Airlines direct flight to KL as significant milestone in M’sia-China ties

BINTULU (Aug 1): China Eastern Airlines has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the only airline to offer direct flights from Yantai, Shandong to Kuala Lumpur.

Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing highlighted that this new route marks a significant milestone in Malaysia-China bilateral relations and will boost Malaysia’s tourism industry.

“I sincerely thank China Eastern Airlines for their efforts in making these new flights to Malaysia a reality,” he said in a Facebook post.

Tiong said previously, the ministry held numerous meetings with China Eastern Airlines to secure more direct flights from second and third tier Chinese cities to Malaysia.

“During a marketing mission to China in January 2024, I had the opportunity to dine and exchange ideas with Wang Zhiqing, chairman of the China Eastern Airlines Group.

“He responded positively and indicated that China Eastern is exploring the feasibility of opening more direct flights from Chinese cities to Malaysia, hoping to gain friendly cooperation from our agencies to ensure the smooth launch of these routes,” he said.

Tiong also said during his visit to the China Eastern Airlines Group’s headquarters in Shanghai on May 30, 2024, he learned about the airline’s plans to open several new routes in the second half of the year, including the newly launched route from Yantai, Shandong.

“I urge Tourism Malaysia to ride on this momentum to increase the promotion and publicity efforts for these new direct flight destinations to Malaysia.

“At the same time, develop more tourism-related products and highlights to attract a large tourist base to our local market.

“This will help activate our market and spark more national economic growth,” said Tiong.