In response to the Malaysian government’s move to offer 30-day visa-free entry for travellers from China and India starting December 1, 2023, AirAsia will increase services between China-Malaysia and India-Malaysia starting in the first quarter of 2024. The change will result in 230 weekly flights with up to 5.2 million seats per year.
The announcement coincides with the recent announcement of the easing of travel restrictions for Malaysians to China, from December 1.
An estimated 4.6 million guests are expected to travel on AirAsia’s 26 routes in China and India in 2024
Parent company Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes said: “This is a huge, much-anticipated news not only for AirAsia but for the country, and we truly thank the Malaysian government, particularly prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, for this forward-thinking initiative.
“AirAsia has been at the forefront of trying to make visiting Malaysia easier. 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.”
AirAsia Aviation Group’s group CEO, Bo Lingam, added: “We see this as an opportunity not only to enhance regional connectivity in two of our largest markets, but also to act as a catalyst for significant economic growth. With an estimated 4.6 million guests expected to travel on our extensive network of 26 routes in China and India in 2024 alone, we are ready to play a pivotal role in achieving Malaysia’s ambitious tourism targets of 25 million international tourists annually.”
Both AirAsia Malaysia and AirAsia X Malaysia fly 17 routes into the country with a total of 156 flights weekly. AirAsia Malaysia and AirAsia X Malaysia fly from Kuala Lumpur to Guangzhou, Quanzhou, Kunming, Guilin, Nanning, Shantou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. AirAsia Malaysia 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 flies from Kuala Lumpur to Bengaluru, Kolkata, Cochin, Hyderabad, Chennai, Trichy, and Trivandrum – a new destination starting in February 2024. AirAsia X Malaysia flies from Kuala Lumpur to New Delhi and Amritsar.
In response to the Malaysian government’s move to offer 30-day visa-free entry for travellers from China and India starting December 1, 2023, AirAsia will increase services between China-Malaysia and India-Malaysia starting in the first quarter of 2024. The change will result in 230 weekly flights with up to 5.2 million seats per year.
The announcement coincides with the recent announcement of the easing of travel restrictions for Malaysians to China, from December 1.
Parent company Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes said: “This is a huge, much-anticipated news not only for AirAsia but for the country, and we truly thank the Malaysian government, particularly prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, for this forward-thinking initiative.
“AirAsia has been at the forefront of trying to make visiting Malaysia easier. 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.”
AirAsia Aviation Group’s group CEO, Bo Lingam, added: “We see this as an opportunity not only to enhance regional connectivity in two of our largest markets, but also to act as a catalyst for significant economic growth. With an estimated 4.6 million guests expected to travel on our extensive network of 26 routes in China and India in 2024 alone, we are ready to play a pivotal role in achieving Malaysia’s ambitious tourism targets of 25 million international tourists annually.”
Both AirAsia Malaysia and AirAsia X Malaysia fly 17 routes into the country with a total of 156 flights weekly. AirAsia Malaysia and AirAsia X Malaysia fly from Kuala Lumpur to Guangzhou, Quanzhou, Kunming, Guilin, Nanning, Shantou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. AirAsia Malaysia 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 flies from Kuala Lumpur to Bengaluru, Kolkata, Cochin, Hyderabad, Chennai, Trichy, and Trivandrum – a new destination starting in February 2024. AirAsia X Malaysia flies from Kuala Lumpur to New Delhi and Amritsar.