Malaysia Airlines to Triple Chinese Routes Over the Next Five Years

7th Nov 2016

Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) will soon start serving eight new destinations in China. The Malaysian carrier also announced it will open 11 new routes between Malaysia and China with 35 additional frequencies early in 2017.

Malaysian flag carrier will launch routes from Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu, Chongqing, Fuzhou, Haikou, Nanjing and Wuhan, as well as from Penang to Shanghai and Shenzhen and from Kota Kinabalu to Tianjin.

In addition, MAB also added a second daily flight on the Kuala Lumpur-Shanghai route subject to slots in April next year.

According to Peter Bellew, Chief Executive Officer at Malaysia Airlines, the national carrier plans to triple its Chinese business in the following five years.

Bellew said in a statement:

I see potential for direct flights to 20 Chinese cities from Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching by 2019. We have huge confidence in China. The improved connectivity will foster deeper business links between the two countries. Malaysians relish the business opportunities and tourism experience in China. The Chinese tourist market to Malaysia is growing rapidly due to the shared food, language and cultural connections.

He continued:

In addition to this initial growth, we will promote tourism in Malaysia and China through seasonal or adhoc services to key leisure markets such as Langkawi, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. Six of our new Chinese cities have never been served directly by a Malaysian airline.

This announcement comes shortly after MAB introduced Airbus A330 to its Kuala Lumpur-Hong Kong route and replaced the Boeing 737 it used there so far.

MASKargo Launches New Freighter Service to China

Meanwhile, Malaysia Airlines cargo division, MASKargo is also expanding its service to China. The cargo airline launched a two-weekly service from Kuala Lumpur to Guangzhou. The route will commence on 8^th November, 2016 and will operate on Tuesdays and Thursdays using Airbus A330s.

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport is the third busiest in China when it comes to cargo traffic and is one of the key hubs in Asia Pacific for major cargo operators.

The KL-Guangzhou route will offer 60 tonnes of cargo capacity per each flight.