AirAsia targets three million visitors for Langkawi

LANGKAWI: AirAsia has targeted to bring three million visitors here this year, almost double last year’s 1.6 million.

Its group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said the airline has flown over a million people here from January to July with its 238 weekly flights and is aiming to hit the three million mark by year-end.

“Our vision is to make Langkawi as connected as Phuket, if not greater,” he said at the official launching of AirAsia’s Langkawi-Shenzhen route by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the Langkawi International Airport yesterday.

Fernandes said the direct route, which started on Aug 9 and operates three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, would further boost tourism in Langkawi and was in line with the Langkawi Development Authority’s mission to tap into new foreign markets.

AirAsia now has seven direct flights to Langkawi, with four domestic routes – Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Baru and Kuching – and three international routes – Singapore, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. It also connects Langkawi to 15 countries such as Vietnam, South Korea and Taiwan via its Fly-Thru flights.

Fernandes said direct international tourists flown by AirAsia to Langkawi increased from 83,754 passengers in 2015 to 187,433 passengers in 2016, a 120% growth.

“This represents a contribution of RM300mil to the GDP based on the 12 times multiplier effect and 2016 was the first year when international tourists outnumbered domestic tourists,” he said in his speech.

Speaking to reporters later, Fernandes said AirAsia would continue to promote Langkawi, especially to tourists from China, India and Asean countries.