CAL flies to Penang, Medan

CAL flies to Penang, Medan

TAIPEI (AFP): Taiwan's China Airlines (CAL) on Sunday
inaugurated new flight routes to Malaysia and Indonesia to meet
the growing tourist demand.

The new Taipei-Penang-Medan service will have five flights a
week using Boeing 737-800 passenger aircraft.

The CAL has been operating five cargo flights per week to
Penang, Malaysia since 1995.

"The big traffic increase reflects the growing opportunities
of Malaysian and Indonesian markets in terms of trade and
travel," CAL President Christine Tsung said at the ribbon-cutting
ceremony for the new flight service.

She said some 170,000 Taiwanese traveled to Indonesia annually
over the past five years, and the number is forecast to surge by
40 percent this year to 250,000 this year.

The number of Taiwanese traveling to Malaysia is expected to
top 310,000 this year, up from the average of 240,000 over the
past five years.