Just five weeks after Malaysia and China activated reciprocal 30-day, visa-free entry for ordinary passport holders, Malaysia Airlines has relaunched its non-stop Kuala Lumpur–Chengdu service. The Airbus A330-300 flight operates daily and recorded a 91 percent load factor on its 9 January inaugural, according to a company statement and Aviation Week’s 12 January route update.
Search data from Skyscanner show Malaysia-to-China queries up 110 percent since the visa waiver took effect on 1 December 2025, with Chengdu second only to Shanghai among Malaysian users. For business travellers the schedule—daytime northbound, overnight southbound—connects neatly into Australia and New Zealand, while the 30-tonne belly-hold capacity offers exporters a direct link to Sichuan’s electronics cluster.
Industry observers say the move reflects a wider rebound in Malaysia-China aviation. Kuala Lumpur International Airport now hosts seven Chinese destinations and Malaysian Aviation Commission figures show total passenger volumes surpassed pre-pandemic January 2019 levels for the first time this year. Tourism Malaysia hopes to leverage the route for its Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign, pitching Chengdu residents on beach resorts and Islamic-heritage tours.
![Malaysia Airlines restores Kuala Lumpur–Chengdu flights as 30-day mutual visa-free travel spurs demand]()
For travellers who fall outside the new visa-exempt categories—such as non-Malaysian passengers planning onward legs into China—VisaHQ can streamline the paperwork. Its online platform (https://www.visahq.com/china/) provides up-to-date requirements, digital application tools, and courier options, allowing corporate mobility teams to secure Chinese visas in parallel with Malaysian permits and avoid last-minute snags.
Corporate mobility teams should note that travellers of other nationalities still require visas for either leg of the journey. The restored connection, however, shortens overall journey times by up to four hours compared with one-stop itineraries via Bangkok or Hong Kong, reducing fatigue for technician rotations and supply-chain audits. Companies planning multi-country swings can combine the visa-free stay in China with ASEAN’s existing 14-day visa-free entry for many passports, creating seamless regional loops.
HR and travel managers are advised to monitor seat-availability trends: early-spring dates are already climbing in price, and Chengdu’s Tianfu International is operating near slot capacity during evening waves. Advance block-booking or the use of corporate fare agreements may be needed to secure inventory.
Search data from Skyscanner show Malaysia-to-China queries up 110 percent since the visa waiver took effect on 1 December 2025, with Chengdu second only to Shanghai among Malaysian users. For business travellers the schedule—daytime northbound, overnight southbound—connects neatly into Australia and New Zealand, while the 30-tonne belly-hold capacity offers exporters a direct link to Sichuan’s electronics cluster.
Industry observers say the move reflects a wider rebound in Malaysia-China aviation. Kuala Lumpur International Airport now hosts seven Chinese destinations and Malaysian Aviation Commission figures show total passenger volumes surpassed pre-pandemic January 2019 levels for the first time this year. Tourism Malaysia hopes to leverage the route for its Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign, pitching Chengdu residents on beach resorts and Islamic-heritage tours.
For travellers who fall outside the new visa-exempt categories—such as non-Malaysian passengers planning onward legs into China—VisaHQ can streamline the paperwork. Its online platform (https://www.visahq.com/china/) provides up-to-date requirements, digital application tools, and courier options, allowing corporate mobility teams to secure Chinese visas in parallel with Malaysian permits and avoid last-minute snags.
Corporate mobility teams should note that travellers of other nationalities still require visas for either leg of the journey. The restored connection, however, shortens overall journey times by up to four hours compared with one-stop itineraries via Bangkok or Hong Kong, reducing fatigue for technician rotations and supply-chain audits. Companies planning multi-country swings can combine the visa-free stay in China with ASEAN’s existing 14-day visa-free entry for many passports, creating seamless regional loops.
HR and travel managers are advised to monitor seat-availability trends: early-spring dates are already climbing in price, and Chengdu’s Tianfu International is operating near slot capacity during evening waves. Advance block-booking or the use of corporate fare agreements may be needed to secure inventory.
