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(27/11/23)
 In response to the anticipated surge in travel
demand following the Malaysian government’s announcement of a
30-day visa-free entry for travellers from China and India into
Malaysia starting 1 December 2023, AirAsia will significantly
increase services between the countries with 230 flights per week
set to take off in Q1 2024.

The significant increase in capacity on AirAsia
Malaysia (airline code AK) and AirAsia X Malaysia (airline code
D7) represents up to 5.2 million seats per year and also coincides
with the recent announcement of the easing of travel restrictions
for Malaysians to China, from 1 December 2023.

“This is
huge, much-anticipated news not only for AirAsia but for the
country, and we truly thank the Malaysian government, particularly
Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, for this forward-thinking
initiative,” said Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes. “AirAsia has been at the forefront of trying to make
visiting Malaysia easier. The 30-day visa-free entry for the
citizens of China and India will surely provide a welcome boost
for Malaysia’s tourism and its economy ahead of the upcoming peak
travel season while boosting economic bonds between these great
nations. As a vital player in the aviation sector, we stand ready
to add capacity to support the demand for affordable and
accessible air travel in the region.”

AirAsia Malaysia A320s at KUL. Picture by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com

As the largest foreign low-cost carrier in China,
both AirAsia Malaysia (AK) and AirAsia X Malaysia (D7) fly 17
routes into the country with a total of 156 flights weekly.

AK and D7 fly from Kuala Lumpur to
Guangzhou, Quanzhou, Kunming, Guilin, Nanning, Shantou, Shenzhen,
Chengdu, Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai.

AK
also flies from Kota Kinabalu to Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Shenzhen,
Beijing and Wuhan, as well as from Johor Bahru to Guangzhou.

Recently, the China Embassy in Malaysia
announced that Malaysian citizens holding ordinary passports who
enter China for business, tourism, family visits and transit
purposes can enjoy visa-free travel for up to 15 days starting 1
December 2023 until 30 November 2024.

Both airlines have also increased frequencies to
nine routes into India with a total of 74 flights weekly.

AK flies from Kuala Lumpur to Bengaluru, Kolkata,
Cochin, Hyderabad, Chennai, Trichy, and Trivandrum – a new
destination starting in February 2024, whilst D7
flies from Kuala Lumpur to New Delhi and Amritsar.

“We see this as an opportunity not only to enhance
regional connectivity in two of our largest markets, but also to
act as a catalyst for significant economic growth,” said Bo
Lingam, AirAsia Aviation Group Limited Group CEO. “With an
estimated 4.6 million guests expected to travel on our extensive
network of 26 routes in China and India in 2024 alone, we are
ready to play a pivotal role in achieving Malaysia’s ambitious
tourism targets of 25 million international tourists annually.”

See recent HD video
interviews about Malaysia:
Tourism Pahang, Malaysia,

Malaysia Airports.

See recent HD video interviews about India:
Uttar Pradesh (India) Tourism –
Interview with Prateek Hira, President & CEO of Tornos;
Goa Tourism (India) –
Interview with Rohan A. Khaunte, Goa’s Minister for Tourism;
Madhya Pradesh Tourism (India) – Interview with Sheo Shekhar
Shukla, I.A.S., Principal Secretary Culture & Tourism;

Karnataka Tourism (India) – Interview with H.T. Ratnakar, Adviser
– Tourism and Hospitality, Govt. of Karnataka, India;
and
Rajasthan Tourism (India) – Interview
with Dr. Rashmi Sharma, I.A.S., Director – Department of Tourism,
Government of Rajasthan.