40,000 ferry tickets sold ahead of Lima '25
KUALA KEDAH: More than 40,000 ferry tickets have been sold ahead of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2025 (Lima '25), prompting ferry operators to ramp up services to meet the surging demand.
Ferry Line Ventures Sdn Bhd, which manages passenger services to the island, has scheduled an additional 100 trips between May 20 and 25, covering the event period and the day after its conclusion.
Its operations manager Norhafiz Abdul Wahid said the move was necessary to ensure a smooth flow of passengers between Kuala Kedah, Kuala Perlis and Langkawi, which is expecting an influx of local and international visitors.
"This is a healthy development. We've seen strong interest, with about 40,000 tickets sold for the five-day period," he said at a press conference at the Kuala Kedah Ferry Terminal today.
He said approximately 10,000 return tickets are still available, and that ferry operations may be extended further if demand keeps rising.
Currently, ferries are scheduled to run hourly, with real-time updates and seat availability provided through the Cuti-Cuti Langkawi app.
"If the demand is encouraging, we will extend operating hours up to midnight for services between Kuala Perlis and Langkawi," he said.
Services from Kuala Kedah will end at 10pm due to ongoing dredging works at the estuary.
Norhafiz assured that all safety protocols are in place, including life jackets and navigation lights, in compliance with Marine Department regulations.
"We also have standby vessels ready to take over in case of technical issues.
"All maintenance was done during the low season to ensure reliability throughout this period.
"Our current system ensures only one ferry docks at a time, with another ready to enter once passengers are unloaded," he said.
He advised travellers to expect congestion at the Kuala Kedah and Kuala Perlis jetties and urged early bookings to minimise inconvenience.
Lima '25, themed "Today's Progress, Future Achievements", is expected to surpass previous editions in asset sales value.
Government spokesman Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin briefed the Cabinet on the exhibition's strong momentum.
So far, 10,000 public tickets have been sold, with exhibitors from China, France, the UK, Australia and Italy already confirmed.
The previous edition, Lima '23 featured over 600 companies from 30 countries, the biggest since its inception in 1991.
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