From The Floor: Malaysia Seeks To Expand China, India Connectivity

Malaysia is intensifying efforts to strengthen air connectivity with China and India, leveraging visa-free entry policies and expanded airline partnerships to drive international traffic growth.

In 2024, airport operator Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) welcomed 12 new airlines, adding 71 destinations and increasing seat capacity by 5.42 million across its network. The Malaysia-China market saw a significant boost, with new routes from previously unserved and underserved cities, including Ningbo, Qingdao and Yantai. Meanwhile, the Malaysia-India market expanded, fueled by the rapid growth of AirAsia and increased capacity from Indian carriers.

According to OAG Schedules Analyser data, nonstop Malaysia-China capacity reached 8.3 million two-way seats in 2024, marking a 139% year-on-year increase and a full recovery to 2019 levels. Malaysia-India capacity grew by 23% year-on-year to 3.9 million seats, recovering to 87% of pre-pandemic levels. Overall, international traffic at MAHB-managed airports climbed to 49.6 million passengers in 2024, reaching 93.1% of 2019 figures.

At Routes Asia 2025 in Perth, Australia, a MAHB spokesperson highlighted the role of visa-free policies in supporting this growth. “The 30-day visa waiver for Chinese and Indian arrivals and the 15-day visa waiver for outbound Malaysia-China travel have played a key role in stimulating demand,” the spokesperson said.

To sustain this momentum, MAHB has launched its Network Development Program (NDP) 2025-27, offering incentives to attract new carriers and encourage route expansion, particularly from China, India and long-haul markets.

Overall, airports managed by MAHB in Malaysia recorded strong traffic performance with 93.8 million passenger movements in 2024, reaching 89.1% of 2019 levels. Among the 12 new airlines were Air Macau, Iraqi Airways, Turkmenistan Airlines, Cambodia Airways, Qingdao Airlines, AirAsia Cambodia, Loong Air and Air India.