By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, March 7: Nowa Itaka, one of the largest tourism companies in Central Europe, is planning to introduce another charter flight package from Warsaw (Poland) to Langkawi, with onward connection to Sarawak and Sabah between October 2025 and March 2026.
In a Facebook post today, Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Dato Seri Tiong King Sing said this followed separate meetings with Nowa Itaka and one of Europe’s major airline groups, Lufthansa Group.
He said that the additional charter flight package would allow tourists from Central Europe to explore Malaysia beyond Langkawi.
The initiative materialised after Nowa Itaka successfully launched its charter flight package between Warsaw and Langkawi in October 2024.
As for the meeting with Lufthansa Group, Tiong, who is also Bintulu MP and Dudong assemblyman, said that it is currently facing challenges related to aircraft supply shortages and international policy factors, making it temporarily unable to resume direct flights between Germany and Malaysia.
“During our discussion, I highlighted that Europeans account for 25 to 30 per cent of Malaysia’s tourism market, and many Malaysians choose (to go to) Germany to further (their) studies.
“Establishing a direct flight route would undoubtedly facilitate people-to-people exchanges, cultural interactions, and greater connectivity. Additionally, once European travellers arrive in Malaysia, they could easily explore other Asean countries,” he said.
In both meetings, he said, in-depth discussions on enhancing Malaysia’s connectivity with the European market were held, including exploring travel packages beyond the peak tourism season from December to March and identifying marker potential for other periods (April to September).
He also emphasised the potential for collaboration through joint promotional efforts, staff training, and partnerships with Malaysian airlines.
Upon arrival in Kuala Lumpur, travellers could take domestic flights to other states, such as Penang, Langkawi, Sarawak, and Sabah.
“Strengthening these connections will enhance Malaysia’s tourism brand visibility and competitiveness in the European market,” he said. — DayakDaily
