The first plane carrying tourists in more than four months touched down in Langkawi on Thursday and was greeted by a twin water cannon "salute", in the launch of a programme to revive a travel sector frozen by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The first batch of 159 travellers from Kuala Lumpur arrived eager for a vacation after a months-long, nationwide lockdown imposed to address one of Asia's highest per-capital coronavirus infection rates.

Known for its beaches, geoparks, bird life and...