75,000 flood Langkawi for Aidilfitri holidays

 

LANGKAWI: Some 75,000 visitors have flooded the island over the last five days, driven by a surge of holidaymakers and residents returning for Aidilfitri. 

Of the total arrivals since Monday, 18,000 arrived via passenger ferries from Kuala Perlis and Kuala Kedah, while approximately 7,000 used roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) services. 

Air travel remained a primary choice, with an estimated 50,000 passengers recorded arriving via domestic and international flights during the same period. 

Ferry Line Ventures Sdn Bhd (Ferry Line) operations manager Lieutenant Commander (Rtd) Norhafiz Abdul Wahid said 11,230 passengers entered Langkawi through the Kuala Perlis route. 

"For the Kuala Kedah-Langkawi route, 6,960 local and foreign passengers were recorded across seven trips, including two additional services. 

"We believe this increase is driven by Langkawi natives returning for the festivities and tourists taking the opportunity to holiday on the island", he said.

Langkawi Port Sdn Bhd general manager Muhd Nasir Abd Aziz said the Tanjung Lembung Pier (DTL) recorded about 7,000 passenger arrivals in the same timeframe. 

He said ferry operators increased trip frequency to eight times daily, up from the usual four, to meet the festive demand. 

"This ensures the smooth movement of passengers and vehicles between Langkawi and Kuala Perlis", he said in a statement. 

Checks on flight schedules showed Langkawi International Airport (LTAL) receiving an average of 20 incoming flights daily from Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Baru, Singapore, and Bengaluru, India. 

An airport staff member, who wished to be known only as Man, said employees were briefed to handle an average of 5,000 passengers per day throughout the peak period.

-nst online.