Malaysia Airlines reinforces its commitment to the China market through a series of strategic trade events and the signing of key partnerships this October. These engagements highlight the airline’s ongoing efforts to strengthen connectivity, collaboration and services for inbound and outbound travellers, while expanding its network and presence across the region.
Dersenish Aresandiran, Chief Commercial Officer of Airlines from Malaysia Aviation Group, said, “China remains a cornerstone of our international strategy, and our partnerships here reflect our long-term commitment to the market. In the first half of 2025, we carried close to 250,000 passengers from China with load factors above 80%, underscoring the strong demand for our premium services. Starting this November, we will increase Xiamen flights to four times weekly and resume daily Chengdu services in January 2026, bringing our network to seven gateways and up to 60 weekly flights across Greater China. These expansions, alongside our new collaborations with leading partners in the market, will further strengthen our position as the gateway of choice for Chinese travellers connecting through Kuala Lumpur to Southeast Asia, Australasia and beyond.”
Key Trade Engagements
The Malaysia Airlines Trade Gala in Shanghai on 15 October brought together government representatives, corporate partners and top travel agents to celebrate the airline’s longstanding ties with China and outline its next phase of growth. The event followed a strong performance during China’s Golden Week holiday between 1-8 October, with the airline achieving over 95% load factor across its Greater China network and carrying more than 6,000 outbound passengers to Malaysia and key destinations.
The Gala was followed by an exclusive Media & Partners Engagement in Chengdu on 21 October, bringing together corporate and travel partners. The event provided a platform for an Interactive discussion on the upcoming daily flights between Kuala Lumpur and Chengdu, which will begin in January 2026. Operated by Malaysia Airlines’ Boeing 737-8, the service will offer 2,436 weekly seats, increasing the China network to seven gateways with up to 60 weekly flights and supporting tourism, business and student travel.
Strengthening Malaysia Airlines’ China Presence with Strategic Partnerships
The airline also formalised four key Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with leading Chinese partners, underscoring its long-term commitment to deepen collaboration across travel distribution, payments and digital innovation. Together, these partnerships focus on enhancing convenience, connectivity and engagement for Chinese travellers throughout their journey:
1. Trip.Biz – Global SME and Corporate Travel Partnership
Malaysia Airlines will be recognised as Trip.Biz’s preferred airline partner, providing access to its fares for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across 25 markets. The partnership includes integration of the MHcorporate portal with Trip.Biz’s platform, as well as joint initiatives such as corporate seminars to support business travel solutions for SMEs and corporate clients.
2. Ant Group (Alipay) – Digital Payment and Marketing Collaboration
Malaysia Airlines and Alipay will collaborate on travel-related products and services within Alipay’s digital wallet ecosystem, focusing on payment and financial technology solutions to enhance the customer payment experience. The partnership also covers joint marketing campaigns, content strategies to promote destinations and data insights to inform strategic decisions and personalise services for customers.
3. UnionPay International – Payment Innovation and Co-Branded Campaigns
The partnership with UnionPay enhances payment accessibility for customers using UnionPay cards across Malaysia Airlines’ channels. It also includes joint marketing initiatives to promote destinations and the brand, as well as data insights to improve personalisation. The collaboration aims to support both leisure and corporate customer travel while increasing engagement across key markets.
4. Chengdu Spring Travel – Network Expansion and Secondary Market Growth
The renewed agreement with Chengdu Spring Travel covers scheduled services from Chongqing, Wuhan and Chengdu to Malaysia. The partnership expands Malaysia Airlines’ footprint into China’s secondary markets and is supported by joint marketing initiatives to raise awareness and drive inbound travel in conjunction with Visit Malaysia 2026.
Malaysia Airlines remains committed to strengthening connectivity and tourism between Malaysia and China, in line with both countries’ efforts to enhance bilateral cooperation. The airline welcomes the reciprocal visa-free travel arrangement, which simplifies journeys for travellers and is expected to continue boost demand. As the national carrier, Malaysia Airlines will continue supporting Visit Malaysia 2026, working with government and industry partners to promote Malaysia as a preferred destination and reinforce its long-term role in connecting China with Southeast Asia and beyond.
