Malaysia launches new air route to attract Indonesia visitors
Malaysia’s Batik Air opened a new direct route connecting Kuala Lumpur and Indonesia’s Batam on February 18 to boost tourism traffic between the two countries.
Malaysia’s Batik Air recently opens a new direct route connecting Kuala Lumpur and Indonesia’s Batam. (Photo: Bernama)Director General of the Malaysian Tourism Ammar Abd Ghapar said Indonesia holds a special place as a key tourism market for Malaysia based on the shared cultural ties and connectivity among both countries.
The connection is expected to further bolster tourist arrivals as Malaysia is gearing up for the Visit Malaysia 2026 event and contribute to the economic prosperity of both nations, he said.
Operating three times weekly with Boeing 737 aircraft, this new route underscores Batik Air’s commitment to expanding its network growth in Southeast Asia while catering to the increased demand for intra-regional travel, he added.
Meanwhile, Batik Air chief executive officer Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy said the introduction of direct flights from Batam to Kuala Lumpur is a strategic move to expand the airline’s presence in key markets.
This new route will enable passengers from Batam to connect to Batik Air’s ever-growing flight network to 53 destinations across 22 countries through Kuala Lumpur International Airport, he said.
According to the Tourism Malaysia, Indonesia ranked second in the top ten tourist-generating markets in ASEAN, contributing 2.8 million arrivals to Malaysia between January and November 2023.
The new route is expected to further stimulate tourism between the two nations, aligning with Malaysia’s target of welcoming 27.3 million tourists in 2024 and generating revenue of 102.7 billion RM (21.47 billion USD), it said./.
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