Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has expanded its network in China with the addition of two new destinations after seeing a surge in demand from customers.
On July 9, 2026, Malaysia Airlines announced the launch of new direct services from Kuala Lumpur to both Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport (SZX) and Changsha Huanghua International Airport (CSX).
Malaysia Airlines said that the rise in travelers between Malaysia and China has been driven by “increasingly robust economic partnerships” and a “shared appetite for leisure and business travel”.
The expansion officially started with the inaugural flight to Shenzhen on July 1, 2026, followed by the new Changsha service on July 8 ,2026.
Both routes operate with a frequency of up to seven weekly flights utilizing Malaysia Airlines’ Boeing 737-8 aircraft.
Our very first flight from Changsha has officially taken to the skies 🇨🇳🇲🇾✈️
— Malaysia Airlines (@MAS) July 9, 2026
It was a memorable start to our new daily direct service between Changsha and Kuala Lumpur, now operating 7x weekly.
With Visit Malaysia 2026 in full swing, we look forward to seeing even more… pic.twitter.com/fRhCvQwntR
“By connecting Kuala Lumpur to these high-growth regional hubs, we are offering travelers greater convenience and flexibility while supporting stronger business, tourism and people-to-people ties between our two countries,” Bryan Foong, CEO of Airline Business from Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), said.
He added: “As we welcome more visitors under the Visit Malaysia 2026 banner, this expansion also brings us closer to our vision of positioning Kuala Lumpur as a premier gateway to Asia and beyond.”
With the introduction of Shenzhen and Changsha, Malaysia Airlines now serves nine gateways across China, including Beijing (PKX), Shanghai (PVG), Guangzhou (CAN), Xiamen (XMN), Hong Kong (HKG), Taipei (TPE), and Chengdu (TFU).