Malaysia Airlines enhances trade outreach across China
Dersenish Aresandiran
Strategic trade events and MOUs signed with leading Chinese partners to strengthen airline’s long-term vision and confidence in the market.
Malaysia Airlines has reinforced its commitment to the China market through a series of strategic trade events and the signing of key partnerships this October. These engagements aims to boost 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.”
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 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.
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.
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.
