Malaysia Airlines And China Southern Unlock New Travel Opportunities Between Malaysia And China

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Malaysia Airlines and China Southern Airlines have strengthened their partnership by adding five routes to their existing codeshare agreement. From the 25th of October, Malaysia Airlines and China Southern Airlines will have codeshares on all of the routes that they operate between China and Malaysia, that are via Kuala Lumpur.

The latest expansion will enhance connectivity between Kuala Lumpur and several major Chinese cities, including Shenzhen, Changsha, Xiamen, Chengdu and Zhengzhou. Through the expanded codeshare arrangement, passengers will gain access to more travel choices, improved connectivity and smoother booking options across both airlines’ networks.

Under the partnership, Malaysia Airlines and China Southern Airlines will place their respective flight codes on selected services operated by either carrier. This allows travellers to access a wider range of destinations while benefiting from more convenient connections between Malaysia and China.

The expanded cooperation also strengthens the relationship between the two airlines by bringing their networks and operational hubs closer together. The partnership is expected to create additional opportunities for future collaboration while delivering greater value and flexibility for passengers travelling between the two markets.

The codeshare partnership between Malaysia Airlines and China Southern Airlines first began in July 2023 with the launch of cooperation on the Kuala Lumpur–Guangzhou route. Since then, both carriers have continued to expand their collaboration to support growing travel demand between Malaysia and China.

In July 2024, the agreement was extended to include additional routes such as Kuala Lumpur–Beijing Daxing, Kuala Lumpur–Shanghai Pudong and Penang–Guangzhou. The latest expansion further strengthens the network coverage offered through the partnership.

Both airlines have continued investing in the Malaysia–China travel market through network growth and increased capacity. Malaysia Airlines introduced new services from Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu, Shenzhen and Changsha during the year, while China Southern Airlines continued expanding capacity on its Kuala Lumpur–Guangzhou and Kuala Lumpur–Shenzhen routes.

With the latest expansion, all Kuala Lumpur-connected routes operated by the two airlines between Malaysia and China are now included under the codeshare cooperation. These routes cover Kuala Lumpur connections with Guangzhou, Beijing Daxing, Shanghai Pudong, Shenzhen, Changsha, Xiamen, Chengdu Tianfu and Zhengzhou.

The strengthened partnership highlights the growing importance of the Malaysia–China aviation market and reflects both airlines’ efforts to improve international connectivity, support business and leisure travel, and provide passengers with greater access between two important Asian markets.

Captain Nasaruddin A. Bakar, President and Group Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), said:“Malaysia Airlines is pleased to further strengthen its partnership with China Southern Airlines and offer customers more ways to travel between Malaysia and China. China remains a key strategic market for Malaysia Airlines, and our continued expansion in the country reflects the importance we place on strengthening our connections with the region. This cooperation complements our network, giving customers greater access to key destinations across China while strengthening the links between our respective networks. We look forward to building on the strong foundation of our partnership and exploring further opportunities to deepen our cooperation, while supporting the continued growth of tourism, trade and business ties between Malaysia and China.”

Mr. Han Wensheng, President of China Southern Air Holding Company Limited, said:“China Southern Airlines highly values the enormous growth potential of the Malaysian market. By working closely with Malaysia Airlines, we will further leverage our respective strengths, increase flight frequencies between China and Malaysia, and fully capitalise on the opportunities presented by the mutual visa-free policies. This will offer passengers more diversified and convenient travel options, while injecting new momentum into air connectivity between our two countries and supporting the Belt and Road Initiative. We are committed to deepening our partnership to deliver greater value to customers and facilitate closer tourism, trade and economic cooperation between China and Malaysia.”

List of codeshare flights operated by Malaysia Airlines and China Southern Airlines