Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysia is pursuing a vision of becoming one of the Asia-Pacific’s leading air connectivity hubs, supported by plans to expand capacity at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and establish more direct international routes, local media reported.
The connectivity drive would extend beyond Kuala Lumpur to key cities such as Penang, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching, according to Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
Stronger connectivity was essential for the movement of capital and goods, while helping deepen Malaysia's economic ties with major regional centres, Loke was quoted as saying by the New Straight Times.
He said Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong were less than four hours apart by air and shared the same time zone, with Cathay Pacific operating four daily services between the cities since March.
In addition to passenger transport, Malaysia aims to turn KLIA into a major ASEAN air cargo hub. The aim is to make KLIA a main cargo hub in the ASEAN region, while Hong Kong already has a strong presence in East Asia and strong connections to the United States and Canada.
KLIA has also collaborated with Henan Airport in Zhengzhou to develop a dual air cargo hub under the concept of an “Air Silk Road.”
Malaysia also hopes to deepen cooperation with Hong Kong International Airport to establish a dual hub linking ASEAN and Hong Kong, thereby boosting regional air cargo flows./.
