Third from left: Abd Hasman Abd Muhimim, General Manager Operations Terminal 1, Lee Thai Hung, Deputy General Director (Promotion ll), Tourism Malaysia, Martin Lee, General Manager of Juneyao Airlines Malaysia branch, Juneyao Airlines' Pilot, Saravanan Ramasamy, CEO Pos Aviation and Azmi Abdullah, Senior Deputy Director, Tourism Malaysia.
Malaysia welcomes the launch of Juneyao Airlines’ inaugural direct flight from Shanghai Pudong International Airport to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), marking a strategic milestone in enhancing connectivity and strengthening tourism cooperation between Malaysia and China.
Operating four times weekly under flight HO1353, the new service deploys the Airbus A320neo aircraft, with a seating capacity of 162 passengers. This route is set to meet the growing demand for travel between the two dynamic cities, improving convenience for both business and leisure travellers.
The establishment of this route also supports Malaysia’s efforts in capitalising on Shanghai’s reputation as a critical market for outbound travel and a global financial hub with expansive international connectivity, thus positioning Kuala Lumpur as a preferred Southeast Asian gateway for Chinese travellers.
The inaugural flight’s arrival at KLIA today was welcomed by Mr Samuel Lee Thai Hung, Deputy Director General of Tourism Malaysia, alongside key representatives from Juneyao Airlines, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) and Pos Aviation.
Samuel Lee stated: “Tourism Malaysia remains committed to working closely with Chinese airlines and trade partners to ensure sustained growth and mutual benefit. This initiative aligns with national strategies to expand market outreach ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026), which will focus on promoting cultural and sustainable tourism in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG).
“The enhanced air connectivity with Shanghai also supports regional integration under the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) framework, further reinforcing Malaysia’s role as a key player in regional tourism development.”
From January to April 2025, Malaysia recorded 1.44 million visitor arrivals from China - a 37.8% increase compared to the same period in 2023 and 22.6% above prepandemic 2019 levels. The recent extension of visa-free entry for Chinese nationals until 31 December 2026, coupled with enhanced flight access, is expected to further drive visitor growth and yield a significant economic impact across Malaysia’s tourism value chain.
