An Air Busan charter flight from Busan landed at Penang International Airport at 11.30pm on 12 November with 192 passengers, most of them delegates for the 63rd Orient and South East Asia Lions Forum. The Airbus A321neo, flight BX7763, left Gimhae International Airport at 6pm the same day, Penang Hyperlocal reported.
State tourism and creative economy committee chairman Wong Hon Wai welcomed the passengers at the arrival hall with Penang Global Tourism chief executive officer Ooi Chok Yan and Tourism Malaysia officials.
Wong said the service is the first direct charter link between the South Korean port city and Penang, but that the arrangement covers only two round trips. The second flight was booked by a Penang-based travel agency to give local travellers a direct return option to Busan that matches a tour group itinerary.
The forum is expected to draw 6,050 delegates from Malaysia and abroad, with nearly 70 per cent coming from overseas, Pocket News wrote. Wong said many international delegates will stay four to five days and will visit the state’s attractions before and after the event.
He said the spending will reach hotels, food and beverage outlets, transport operators and retailers. “This demonstrates the economic multiplier effect of MICE tourism, allowing the benefits of tourism spending to extend across a wider range of businesses and industries,” he said.
The arrival is the second charter in a run the state government has lined up for the final two months of the year. A winter charter from Warsaw landed on 5 November, and a one-off leisure charter from Osaka is due on 30 December. Wong said none of the three cities had direct air connections with Penang before.
He said Penang’s international arrivals have been concentrated in South East and East Asia, with Indonesia, China and Singapore among the top three in the state’s top 10 source countries.
The state is treating the charters as a test of demand rather than a permanent route. “Through the actual flight operation and the collection of flight data, we can gain a better understanding of the potential for air connectivity between Penang and the South Korean market,” Wong said.
He added that Penang is open to airlines that want to run direct flights from other South Korean cities, and that the state will provide administrative help within its means.
Also at the welcome were Golden Bell chief executive officer Alex Zo Kyu Suk and Dato’ Ooi Chao Syhuan, chairperson of the 63rd Orient and South East Asia Lions Forum Penang 2026.
