KUALA LUMPUR – AirAsia will increase its weekly flights to China and India in response to the anticipated surge in travel demand following the Malaysian government’s announcement of a 30-day visa-free entry for travellers from the two countries starting December 1.
The increase to 230 weekly flights via AirAsia Malaysia and AirAsia X Malaysia starting in the first quarter of 2024 will see up to 5.2 million seats per year.
“The 30-day visa-free entry for the citizens of China and India will surely provide a welcome boost for Malaysia’s tourism and its economy ahead of the upcoming peak travel season while boosting economic bonds between these great nations.
“As a vital player in the aviation sector, we stand ready to add capacity to support the demand for affordable and accessible air travel in the region,” said Capital A CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes.
AirAsia is expecting 4.6 million travellers via its 26 routes in China and India in 2024.
As the largest foreign low-cost carrier in China, AirAsia Malaysia (AK) and AirAsia X Malaysia (D7) fly 17 routes into the country, with a total of 156 flights weekly.
AirAsia Malaysia (AK) and AirAsia X Malaysia (D7) fly from Kuala Lumpur to Guangzhou, Quanzhou, Kunming, Guilin, Nanning, Shantou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. AirAsia Malaysia (AK) also flies from Kota Kinabalu to Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Beijing, and Wuhan, as well as from Johor Bahru to Guangzhou.
Both airlines have also increased frequencies to nine routes into India, with a total of 74 flights weekly. AirAsia Malaysia (AK) flies from Kuala Lumpur to Bengaluru, Kolkata, Cochin, Hyderabad, Chennai, Trichy, and Trivandrum – a new destination starting in February 2024. AirAsia X Malaysia (D7) flies from Kuala Lumpur to New Delhi and Amritsar.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that citizens of China and India would be able to enjoy 30-day visa-free entries to Malaysia beginning December 1.
Last week, the China Embassy in Malaysia also announced that Malaysian citizens holding ordinary passports who enter China for business, tourism, family visits, and transit purposes can enjoy visa-free travel for up to 15 days starting December 1 until November 30, 2024. – November 27, 2023