SEPANG, 27 June 2025 – Tourism Malaysia today celebrated the arrival of AirAsia’s inaugural flight from Darwin, Australia, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (Terminal 2), marking a significant step in enhancing connectivity and opening a new gateway for tourists and business travellers between Malaysia and Australia’s Northern Territory.

Passengers and crew on flight AK 613 were greeted with a warm welcome upon their arrival by Mr Chua Choon Hwa, Deputy Secretary General (Tourism) of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, alongside representatives from Tourism Malaysia, AirAsia, and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB).

Operating on an Airbus A320neo aircraft, the new direct route will operate four times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday) with a 180-seating capacity. This service is expected to boost arrivals and strengthen connectivity between the two destinations ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026).

“The vital Darwin-Kuala Lumpur route is a testament to Australia’s standing as one of Malaysia’s top visitor-generating markets. The launch is perfectly timed as we celebrate 70 years of diplomatic relations in 2025 and build momentum towards VM2026. Hence, we look forward to welcoming more Australian visitors to experience our unique cultural diversity and commitment to sustainable tourism,” said Mr Chua Choon Hwa.

In 2024, Malaysia recorded 447,785 visitor arrivals from Australia, an 11.7% increase from 2023 and 6.3% above pre-pandemic 2019 levels. For the year 2025, Malaysia targets to welcome 43 million international visitor arrivals, generating RM283.8 billion in visitor receipts.

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About Tourism Malaysia

Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, also known as Tourism Malaysia, is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia. It focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia as a preferred tourism destination. Since its inception, it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene. The next Visit Malaysia Year, set to take place in 2026, will commemorate the sustainability of the nation's tourism industry, which is also in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG). Furthermore, Tourism Malaysia actively endorses the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), working towards the realisation of the IMT-GT Visiting Year 2023-2025, with the shared aim of promoting the region as a unified tourism destination. For more information, visit Tourism Malaysia’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and TikTok.

For enquiries, please contact:

Siti Hadijah Arifin
Deputy Director
International Promotion (America, Europe & Oceania)
sitihadijah@tourism.gov.my
Tel: +603 8891 8368

Norshariza Mohd Saad
Deputy Director
Corporate Communications Division
norshariza@tourism.gov.my
Tel: +603 8891 8775