Malaysia and China Gain Stronger Air Links as AirAsia Expands Penang Shenzhen and Sabah Shantou Connectivity

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AirAsia’s expansion between Malaysia and southern China is strengthening direct air access between important tourism and commercial centres, with services connecting Penang with Shenzhen and Kota Kinabalu with Shantou adding more options for cross-border travellers.

The routes form part of AirAsia’s wider effort to develop connectivity between Malaysia and China beyond Kuala Lumpur. Penang-Shenzhen entered service on 28 October 2024 with four flights each week, while Kota Kinabalu-Shantou followed on 16 November 2024 with three weekly services.

Both routes were introduced by AirAsia Malaysia, operating under the AK airline code. Their development broadened the airline’s China network while providing direct international connections from Penang in northern Peninsular Malaysia and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah.

Key points

• Penang gained direct AirAsia connectivity with Shenzhen
• Kota Kinabalu gained a direct link with Shantou
• Both routes were launched in late 2024
• Services support tourism and commercial connectivity
• AirAsia expanded China access beyond Kuala Lumpur

Penang Gains Direct Access to Shenzhen

The Penang-Shenzhen connection represents an important link between two economically active Asian cities.

AirAsia launched the service from Penang on 28 October 2024. It was introduced with four flights per week, giving travellers a direct option between Penang International Airport and Shenzhen.

Shenzhen is one of southern China’s major technology, manufacturing and commercial centres. Its location in Guangdong also places it within the Greater Bay Area, one of Asia’s most economically significant urban regions.

Penang, meanwhile, combines a strong industrial economy with an internationally recognised tourism sector.

Route advantages

• Direct Malaysia-China connectivity
• Access between major economic centres
• Tourism opportunities in both directions
• Greater choice for travellers
• Reduced need for connecting itineraries

Shenzhen Opens Another Gateway into Southern China

Shenzhen’s economic profile gives the route significance beyond leisure tourism.

The city has developed into a major centre for technology, innovation and advanced manufacturing. It also sits immediately north of Hong Kong and forms part of the wider Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

A direct Penang-Shenzhen connection can therefore serve different passenger groups, including tourists, corporate travellers and people visiting friends and relatives.

For Malaysian travellers, Shenzhen can also function as an entry point for wider journeys across Guangdong and neighbouring parts of southern China.

Shenzhen’s importance

• Major technology centre
• Strong manufacturing economy
• Greater Bay Area location
• Access to wider Guangdong
• Significant business travel potential

Penang Combines Tourism and Commercial Demand

Penang provides a similarly diverse market at the Malaysian end of the route.

George Town’s cultural and heritage appeal makes Penang one of Malaysia’s most recognisable tourism destinations. The island is also famous internationally for its food culture.

At the same time, Penang is a major manufacturing and electronics centre.

This combination means international routes from Penang can potentially draw from both leisure and business demand. Chinese visitors can travel directly into one of Malaysia’s leading tourism destinations, while Malaysian residents and corporate travellers gain easier access to southern China.

Penang advantages

• Established international tourism market
• Strong culinary identity
• Heritage attractions
• Manufacturing economy
• Business and leisure demand

Kota Kinabalu Connects Directly with Shantou

AirAsia’s second route strengthened China’s connectivity with East Malaysia.

Direct Kota Kinabalu-Shantou flights began on 16 November 2024 with three services each week.

The route links Sabah’s capital with a major city in eastern Guangdong. Shantou has strong cultural and commercial connections across Southeast Asia, particularly through overseas Chinese communities with ancestral roots in the Chaoshan region.

Kota Kinabalu, meanwhile, is the principal international gateway to Sabah and an important base for travellers exploring the state’s islands, mountains, wildlife and nature experiences.

Route opportunities

• Direct Sabah-China travel
• Leisure tourism
• Family and cultural travel
• Business connectivity
• Easier access to East Malaysia

Sabah Gains More Direct China Connectivity

The Shantou service adds to Kota Kinabalu’s role as an international gateway rather than forcing all China-bound demand through Kuala Lumpur.

This is particularly important for tourism.

Sabah has a distinctive visitor proposition built around tropical islands, marine environments, wildlife and Mount Kinabalu. Direct international flights allow travellers to reach the state with fewer connections.

For Chinese visitors, that can make shorter holidays more practical. For Sabah residents, the route creates another direct option into China.

Sabah tourism benefits

• Easier international access
• Fewer flight connections
• Stronger China market reach
• Support for leisure tourism
• More outbound options for local residents

Shantou Brings a Strong Cultural Connection

Shantou adds another dimension to AirAsia’s China network because of its historical links with Southeast Asia.

The city forms part of the Chaoshan cultural region in eastern Guangdong. Generations of migrants from this area established communities across Southeast Asia, including Malaysia.

That historical relationship can help generate visiting-friends-and-relatives demand alongside conventional tourism and business travel.

Direct aviation connectivity makes these cultural links easier to maintain by reducing the complexity of travelling between Sabah and eastern Guangdong.

Shantou opportunities

• Cultural tourism
• Family travel
• Heritage connections
• Commercial trips
• Regional Guangdong access

Routes Support Travel Beyond Kuala Lumpur

One of the most significant aspects of AirAsia’s China strategy is the development of international services from Malaysian cities outside Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur remains AirAsia’s principal Malaysian hub, but Penang and Kota Kinabalu have become important secondary gateways.

Point-to-point international services can distribute tourism benefits more widely because overseas passengers can arrive directly in the destination they intend to visit.

This can save travelling time while supporting regional airports, hotels, restaurants, attractions and local tourism businesses.

Regional aviation benefits

• Less dependence on Kuala Lumpur
• Direct international arrivals
• Shorter itineraries
• More tourism distribution
• Stronger regional airports

Malaysia-China Travel Benefits from Wider Air Access

The routes also need to be viewed within the wider relationship between Malaysia and China.

China is a major source market for Malaysian tourism, while China remains an important destination for Malaysian travellers.

Additional direct air services can stimulate demand by making journeys simpler and expanding the range of city pairs available without connections.

This is particularly relevant to low-cost aviation. Direct services from regional cities can open international journeys to travellers who may otherwise face the additional time and expense of connecting through a larger hub.

Passenger advantages

• More travel choices
• Direct routes
• Greater regional accessibility
• Leisure opportunities
• Business connectivity

AirAsia Builds on a Large China Network

When AirAsia announced the Penang-Shenzhen and Kota Kinabalu-Shantou services in August 2024, the airline said their addition would take its network to 33 routes to and from China.

At the time, AirAsia described itself as the largest foreign low-cost carrier operating in China.

That scale illustrates why the two services represented more than isolated route launches. They formed part of a broader strategy to connect Southeast Asian cities directly with multiple Chinese markets.

AirAsia has historically used this point-to-point model to develop connectivity beyond major capitals.

Network strategy

• Expand point-to-point flying
• Develop regional hubs
• Increase China connectivity
• Support inbound tourism
• Create more direct international routes

Penang and Sabah Could Capture More Tourism Spending

Direct international flights have economic effects beyond airport passenger numbers.

Visitors arriving directly in Penang or Kota Kinabalu can spend on hotels, restaurants, local transport, shopping, attractions and tours without first passing through another Malaysian gateway.

That can help keep a larger portion of visitor activity within the destination.

For tourism authorities, direct flights are therefore valuable not simply because they increase seat capacity but because they can influence where international visitors begin and end their journeys.

Local economic potential

• Hotel demand
• Food and beverage spending
• Attraction visits
• Retail activity
• Local transportation
• Tourism employment

Malaysia and China Connectivity Enters a More Regional Phase

AirAsia’s Penang-Shenzhen and Kota Kinabalu-Shantou routes demonstrate how Malaysia-China aviation connectivity has expanded beyond traditional capital-to-capital flying.

Penang’s direct link with Shenzhen connects two destinations with strong tourism and commercial profiles. The Kota Kinabalu-Shantou service gives Sabah another direct connection with Guangdong while supporting leisure, cultural and family travel.

Importantly, these routes should not be described as new 2026 launches. Penang-Shenzhen began on 28 October 2024 with four weekly flights, while Kota Kinabalu-Shantou commenced on 16 November 2024 with three weekly services.

Their wider significance remains relevant, however.

By connecting regional Malaysian gateways directly with southern China, AirAsia has broadened the geographic reach of cross-border aviation. That gives travellers more options, supports inbound tourism and strengthens links between Malaysian destinations and major Chinese markets.

For Penang and Sabah, direct China connectivity can help attract visitors without requiring a transfer through Kuala Lumpur. For Chinese travellers, the services create more straightforward access to two very different Malaysian destinations.

The result is a more distributed aviation network in which regional cities play a larger role in the growing tourism, commercial and cultural relationship between Malaysia and China.