Kuala Lumpur: AirAsia is set to relaunch seven international destinations in China, namely Macao, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Kunming, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Chengdu as its strong rebound continues post-pandemic.
AirAsia Malaysia chief executive officer Riad Asmat said China is an integral market for AirAsia Aviation Group, “where we were the largest international low-cost carrier by capacity pre-pandemic.”
“Based on the impressive load factor of our inaugural flight to/from Guangzhou, the restart of our services will not only provide greater value and accessibility to essential travellers from Malaysia and tourists from China but will significantly boost tourism, trade and economic growth in both countries,” he said in a statement Monday.
AirAsia Malaysia is set to restart four China destinations from two hubs - Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu to Macao, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Kunming 10 flights weekly, with the plan to increase the frequency by up to 27 flights weekly in March.
The first flight to/from China recommenced on Feb 10, 2023, to/from Guangzhou with strong load factors both ways, it said.
Complementing the resumption of the short-haul destinations, AirAsia X Malaysia will reconnect Kuala Lumpur to Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Chengdu with 10 flights weekly starting March 1, 2023.
AirAsia X Malaysia chief executive officer, Benyamin Ismail said China will be its next primary market focus as the airline resumes its growth strategy of flying the most popular and profitable routes.
“We have witnessed tremendous success with our services to China, where we carried over 1.8 million guests to/from China in 2019 alone.
“We believe the recommencement of our services to China will be popular for business travellers, international students, those visiting family and relatives as well as stimulating regional demand between two large markets through great value airfares and services,” he said.
As entry to China is currently limited to certain visas, guests are advised to check the travel requirements to the country they travel to.
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