M’sia-bound flights by China Eastern Airlines set to reach 121 weekly during summer travel peak

Dato Seri Tiong King Sing (file pic)

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, June 13: Malaysia has emerged as among the preferred destinations for tourists from China during the upcoming peak summer holiday season, which is shown by China Eastern Airlines’ decision to increase its services to Malaysia to 121 flights per week.

According to Federal Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Dato Sri Tiong King Sing, the airline has launched the new Dalian–Nanjing–Kuala Lumpur route and resumed the Taiyuan–Kunming–Kuala Lumpur route, allowing it to deepen its reach into northeastern and northern China markets.

He said that the increase comes as Malaysia-China comprehensive strategic cooperation continues to strengthen, while the mutual visa exemption arrangement is delivering positive results, with Malaysia emerging as a preferred destination for Chinese outbound travellers this summer.

“Since the start of the summer flight schedule in March this year, China Eastern has been operating 93 weekly flights from China to Malaysia.

“The services connect major Chinese cities including Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Nanjing, Dalian, Xi’an, Lanzhou, Taiyuan and Changchun with Malaysia’s three main gateways—Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, and Penang.

“With China’s school holidays approaching, China Eastern is set to further expand its presence by offering more flight options to Malaysia,” he said in a Facebook post.

Tiong, who is also the assemblyman for Dudong and MP for Bintulu, said that China Eastern Airlines’ direct Shanghai–Kuala Lumpur service will increase from four to six flights daily, while the Shanghai–Kota Kinabalu route will be expanded from one to three flights daily, and once implemented, the airline will operate six daily Shanghai–Kuala Lumpur flights between midday and 2am the following day, creating what is described as a ‘Shanghai Express’ corridor.

“This will provide passengers with more flexible and convenient travel options while helping Malaysia capture a larger share of the Chinese market during the peak summer travel season, in support of the Visit Malaysia Year campaign,” he said.

He added that the additional services are currently awaiting approval from the relevant regulatory authorities, and once all planned flights are approved and operational, China Eastern’s services between China and Malaysia during the summer peak season will reach 121 flights per week.

“With Visit Malaysia Year 2026 being actively promoted, aviation capacity will be a key factor in sustaining growth in international visitor arrivals. I have always believed that tourism cannot thrive without strong support from the aviation sector. Every new route or additional flight not only brings in passengers but also creates opportunities for the hotel, food and beverage, retail, and other related industries.

“Malaysia welcomes more international airlines that increase capacity and open new routes to the country. This provides travellers with greater convenience and choice while further strengthening Malaysia’s position as a regional tourism and aviation hub,” he said. — DayakDaily