PENANG: Penang has welcomed its first-ever direct charter flight from Busan, South Korea, bringing 192 international delegates to the state for the 63rd Orient and Southeast Asia Lions Forum Penang 2026.
The Air Busan-operated Airbus A321neo arrived at Penang International Airport at 11.30 pm on Nov 12, following its departure from Gimhae International Airport in Busan at 6 pm.
Penang State Executive Councillor for Tourism and Creative Economy Wong Hon Wai welcomed the inaugural arrival with a water salute ceremony, marking the first direct charter air connection between the two destinations.
Wong said the charter operation comprised two round trips, with the inaugural flight arranged specifically to transport international delegates attending the Lions forum.
A Penang-based travel agency organised the second charter flight to give local travellers a direct return journey to Busan.
He said the initiative reflected the state government’s efforts to expand Penang’s international tourism markets while strengthening its position as a Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) destination.
The 63rd Orient and South East Asia Lions Forum is expected to attract 6,050 delegates from Malaysia and overseas, with nearly 70% travelling from international markets.
Many delegates are expected to spend four to five days in Penang, giving the state’s tourism industry opportunities to benefit from increased visitor spending.
Wong said the economic impact would extend beyond hotels to food and beverage operators, transportation providers, retailers and other tourism-related businesses.
He added that the state was pursuing a targeted charter flight strategy to explore new international markets and assess their potential for future air connectivity.
Penang recently welcomed its first winter charter flight from Warsaw, Poland, on Nov 5, while another one-off leisure charter flight from Osaka, Japan, is scheduled to arrive on Dec 30.
According to Wong, the three charter connections from Warsaw, Busan and Osaka represent opportunities to reach different visitor segments across Europe and East Asia.
He said Penang could no longer depend solely on its traditional tourism markets, which include Indonesia, China and Singapore, and needed to explore new source markets to sustain the industry’s growth.
Although the Busan service is a one-off charter operation, Wong described it as a market-testing exercise that would allow the state to assess demand and evaluate the potential for stronger aviation links with South Korea.
The state government, he said, remained open to working with airlines interested in establishing direct scheduled services between South Korea and Penang, offering administrative assistance within its capacity.
Also present at the welcoming ceremony were Penang Global Tourism chief executive officer Ooi Chok Yan, Golden Bell chief executive officer Alex Zo Kyu Suk and 63rd Orient and Southeast Asia Lions Forum Penang 2026 chairman Datuk Ooi Chao Syhuan.
