Turkmen Airlines’ First Flight Greeted with Water Cannon Salute in Kuala Lumpur
Turkmen Airlines’ First Flight to Kuala Lumpur Welcomed with Enthusiasm
The inaugural flight of Turkmen Airlines from Ashgabat to Kuala Lumpur was met with a grand welcoming gesture at Kuala Lumpur Airport. Water cannons created a grand salute to mark the occasion as the Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Malaysia, Muhammetniyaz Mashalov, and the Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture of Malaysia, Dato Sri Tiong King Sing, joined the crew and 228 passengers to celebrate the flight’s arrival.
Operating scheduled flights twice a week since March 15, Turkmen Airlines uses Boeing 777-200LR/777-300ER aircraft with a capacity of 289 and 368 seats, respectively. The new route from Ashgabat to Kuala Lumpur aims to significantly increase the number of arrivals to Malaysia from Central Asia and Russia. The flight duration from Ashgabat to Kuala Lumpur is 8 hours and 10 minutes, providing a convenient and efficient travel option for passengers.
The Malaysia Tourism Promotion Council reported a substantial increase in tourists from Central Asia and Russia entering the country. From January to November 2023, Malaysia saw 21,910 tourists from Central Asia, marking a 196.7% increase from 2022. Furthermore, the number of arrivals from Russia soared to 100,645 during the same period, representing a 360% increase from 2022 and a 39.5% increase compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
The launch of Turkmen Airlines’ new route to Kuala Lumpur signifies an exciting development that opens up travel opportunities between Central Asia, Russia, and Malaysia, further bolstering tourism and travel in the region.
Photo by: tourism.gov.my
