Malaysia asks Indian airlines to look beyond Kuala Lumpur to fly tourists

Malaysia requires more flights from Bengaluru and other Indian cities, not just to Kuala Lumpur but to tourist hubs such as Langkawi, Penang, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and many other beaches and islands in the country that have air connectivity, said Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, chairman, Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board here on February 13.

He said the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board is in talks with the Indian government with regard to adding more flights and also opening new routes from Indian cities.

Responding to a query from The Hindu, Mr. Periasamy said, “Since Malaysian-based carriers already filled up their quota, we want to encourage Indian-based carriers to operate beyond Kuala Lumpur, to Langkawi, to Penang, to Kota Kinabalu, to Kuching, to Johor Bahru or other beach or island destinations with air connectivity.’’ 

According to Mr. Periasamy, newer Malaysian destinations are a huge opportunity for Indian carriers. Right now, IndiGo is the only airline directly connecting Langkawi from Bengaluru.

India remains one of Malaysia’s key source markets, recording 1,565,194 tourist arrivals in 2025, compared to 1,365,387 in 2024, representing a 14.6% growth. In line with Visit Malaysia Year 2026, Malaysia is targeting 2.1 million arrivals from India, with south India alone contributing over 70%.

“Our major tourist arrival from all over India is from the south. It is coming from Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kerala and Tamil Nadu,’’ he further said.

According to the board, the strong travel demand is supported by robust air connectivity between the two countries, with 238 weekly direct flights offering 47,399 seats from 14 Indian cities. South India continues to play a vital role, contributing 151 weekly direct flights and 29,541 seats, making travel to Malaysia more convenient for Indian travellers.

Mr. Hishamuddin Mustafa, director of Tourism Malaysia Chennai, noted that Bengaluru remains one of Tourism Malaysia’s strongest markets in South India, with high outbound travel potential across leisure, luxury, MICE, weddings, and corporate segments.