Kuala Lumpur Airport Boosted By Growing China Connections

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) said increasing service to China is driving a rise in international passenger traffic, which grew 10.3% from June to July.

The airport highlighted the July launch of Chinese carrier Loong Air’s 3X-weekly service between KUL and Xi’an. The route added a new network point in China for KUL, which is now served by 10 Chinese airlines, including major carriers Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines.

That doubles the five Chinese carriers serving KUL pre-pandemic. Loong is operating the Xi’an-KUL route with an Airbus A320.

In addition to Xi’an, Chinese carriers connect KUL to Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Xiamen. Five Chinese airlines serve KUL from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG).

Juneyao Airlines became the latest to operate the KUL-PVG route when it opened 4X-weekly service in July using an A320. KUL is the second Malaysian airport served by Juneyao, which started flights between PVG and Penang in May.

Overall, 1.44 million passengers traveled from China to Malaysia in the first four months of 2025, up 37.8% over the January-April 2024 period.

KUL pointed to Malaysia’s policy of visa-free entry for Chinese nationals, which will remain in place at least through the end of 2026, as a boost for China-Malaysia air traffic.

Malaysia Airports Managing Director Mohd Izani Ghani said KUL has become a “vital gateway for China-Southeast Asia movement.”

“Strategic growth in Chinese connectivity is a key driver of Malaysia’s broader economic expansion and reinforces KUL’s position as Southeast Asia’s preferred aviation hub,” he said. “Direct air links with emerging cities like Xi’an not only increase passenger traffic, but also facilitate greater trade and investment opportunities.”