The commencement of scheduled commercial flight operations at Pulau Pangkor Short Take Off and Landing Port (STOLport) is set to heighten tourism demand for the island and contribute to the local economy.

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) said the airport, with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) code 'PKG', on Tuesday (Jan 25) welcomed inaugural flight KI6357 by SKS Airways flying in from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Subang (IATA Code: SZB).

Daily SZB-PKG-SZB flights will start from Jan 26, 2022 using the DHC6-Twin-Otter aircraft which can carry up to 19 passengers on board, it said in a statement.

Chairman Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir said as an airport operator, one of MAHB's roles is also to work closely with tourism bodies to promote local destinations.

"Islands in Malaysia are already renowned for their natural tourist attractions, and the tourism demand for them is strong. The start of commercial flight operations will provide the necessary connectivity to attract more international tourists to the island.

"Coupled with the island’s duty-free status, this will contribute positively towards the economic revival of the island and its population," he said.
Zambry said the domestic passenger movements as of December last year were already at about 60% of their pre-Covid-19 level.

"Government efforts in ensuring a high Covid-19 vaccination rate within our population will also enable Malaysia to transition into an endemic phase faster and this would help boost air travel further," he added.
The next STOLport to receive daily scheduled flights by SKS Airways will be the Pulau Redang STOLport (IATA Code: RDN) starting from Jan 31, 2022.