Dali opens first direct air route to Kuala Lumpur

(ECNS) -- Flight 8L843, operated by Lucky Air, left Dali Fengyi Airport for Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia, on Friday, marking the opening of the Dali-Kuala Lumpur air route.

As the first international direct air route of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, it will fly twice a week -- on Mondays and Fridays, significantly reducing travel time between Dali and Kuala Lumpur from over 10 hours to just 3.5 hours.

Another four international air routes starting from Dali will be opened soon, including flights to Bangkok and Hanoi.

China is one of the top three source markets for Malaysia's tourism industry, according to Muhamad Akmal, Consul-General of Malaysia in Kunming.

Currently, there are 321 weekly flights connecting southern China and Malaysia, 33 of which come from Yunnan, and the growing connectivity between the two sides has also facilitated cooperation in areas such as the economy and education, Akmal said.