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Batik Air to Launch Direct Flights Between Batam and Penang in October
🇲🇾 Malaysia /Economy & Trade

Batik Air to Launch Direct Flights Between Batam and Penang in October

From Utusan Malaysia · () Malay

Translated from Malay and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Batik Air will launch the first direct scheduled flight route between Batam, Indonesia, and Penang, Malaysia, in October.
  • The new route, operating three times a week, aims to strengthen ties and expand tourism and economic markets between the two regions.
  • Indonesia is a key international market for Penang, with a significant increase in tourist arrivals from the country in the first seven months of 2026.

Batik Air is preparing to launch a new direct flight route connecting Batam, Indonesia, and Penang, Malaysia, beginning in October. This marks the airline's first scheduled direct service between the two destinations. The inaugural flight is expected to land in Penang on October 18, 2026, and ticket bookings are now open.

With the opening of this new route, the relationship between Penang and Indonesia will become even closer, opening up new opportunities for Penang to expand its market in Indonesia as well as strengthening regional tourism cooperation among ASEAN member countries.

— Wong Hon WaiPenang's State Executive Councilor for Tourism and Creative Economy on the benefits of the new flight route.

Wong Hon Wai, Penang's State Executive Councilor for Tourism and Creative Economy, highlighted the significance of this new route. He stated that it will not only foster closer ties between Penang and Indonesia but also open new avenues for Penang to expand its market reach within Indonesia. Furthermore, it is expected to bolster regional tourism cooperation among ASEAN member states.

This round-trip route will operate three times a week and will not only benefit Batam residents but also allow Penang to explore a wider market in the Riau Islands through Batam as a regional gateway.

— Wong Hon WaiPenang's State Executive Councilor for Tourism and Creative Economy detailing the route's operational details and market potential.

The round-trip service will operate three times a week. Wong explained that this frequency will benefit Batam residents and enable Penang to tap into a broader market in the Riau Islands, using Batam as a regional gateway. This strategic move aims to enhance connectivity and economic exchange between the two areas.

Indonesia is indeed one of the important international markets for Penang, with the number of tourists from that country consistently ranking first among the state's international tourism markets.

— Wong Hon WaiPenang's State Executive Councilor for Tourism and Creative Economy emphasizing Indonesia's importance as a tourism source market.

Indonesia has consistently been Penang's most important international tourism market. From January to July 2026, Penang welcomed 201,657 tourists from Indonesia, a notable increase from the 192,823 recorded during the same period last year. Wong believes the new direct route holds significant potential to support Penang's medical tourism sector, given the state's comprehensive healthcare facilities and mature medical tourism ecosystem.

Therefore, with the new route, it also has great potential to support Penang's medical tourism sector, considering that the state has complete health facilities and a mature medical tourism ecosystem.

— Wong Hon WaiPenang's State Executive Councilor for Tourism and Creative Economy on the potential impact on medical tourism.
About this summary

Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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