Hainan Airlines will inaugurate twice-weekly Boeing 737-800 flights between Qionghai Bo’ao Airport and Kuala Lumpur on 7 December, the carrier confirmed on 20 November. Services will operate every Wednesday and Sunday, departing the Hainan Free-Trade Port at 16:40 and landing in KL at 20:10 local time. Introductory round-trip fares start at USD 221.
Although Haikou and Sanya already connect Hainan to Malaysia, this is the first international service from Qionghai, a city best known for hosting the Bo’ao Forum for Asia. Local authorities have invested RMB 1 billion in upgrading the airport’s customs and quarantine facilities to position it as a “secondary hub” for ASEAN traffic and medical tourism.
![Hainan Airlines to Launch Qionghai–Kuala Lumpur Service, Boosting Southern China-ASEAN Links]()
For global mobility managers, the new route offers an additional gateway to Hainan’s growing cluster of tourism, health-care and duty-free retail projects. Kuala Lumpur’s position as a Star Alliance hub also provides one-stop access to Australasia and South Asia, giving expatriates and supply-chain personnel more itinerary flexibility.
Malaysia, for its part, is rolling out 30-day visa-free entry for Chinese citizens from 1 December, creating a reciprocal benefit that industry analysts expect to stimulate two-way passenger flows by 25 % in 2026. Hospitality groups in Bo’ao have already reported a spike in December conference bookings from Malaysian pharmaceutical and tech firms.
Companies should note that Qionghai Airport operates a night curfew between 00:00 and 06:00; missed connections will require rerouting via Haikou (130 km away).
Although Haikou and Sanya already connect Hainan to Malaysia, this is the first international service from Qionghai, a city best known for hosting the Bo’ao Forum for Asia. Local authorities have invested RMB 1 billion in upgrading the airport’s customs and quarantine facilities to position it as a “secondary hub” for ASEAN traffic and medical tourism.
For global mobility managers, the new route offers an additional gateway to Hainan’s growing cluster of tourism, health-care and duty-free retail projects. Kuala Lumpur’s position as a Star Alliance hub also provides one-stop access to Australasia and South Asia, giving expatriates and supply-chain personnel more itinerary flexibility.
Malaysia, for its part, is rolling out 30-day visa-free entry for Chinese citizens from 1 December, creating a reciprocal benefit that industry analysts expect to stimulate two-way passenger flows by 25 % in 2026. Hospitality groups in Bo’ao have already reported a spike in December conference bookings from Malaysian pharmaceutical and tech firms.
Companies should note that Qionghai Airport operates a night curfew between 00:00 and 06:00; missed connections will require rerouting via Haikou (130 km away).
