Malaysia Airlines and China Southern Airlines expand codeshare

Malaysia Airlines and China Southern Airlines announced the expansion of their codeshare partnership to cover five more routes in the Malaysia-China market. It will officially take effect on 25 October, covering all Kuala Lumpur-related routes operated by both carriers between Malaysia and China. The expanded codeshare cooperation will connect Kuala Lumpur with a number of China’s key economic, cultural and commercial centres including Shenzhen, Changsha, Xiamen, Chengdu and Zhengzhou, offering customers more travel options between Malaysia and China. Under the codeshare arrangement, Malaysia Airlines and China Southern Airlines will place their respective flight codeson eligible air services operated by either carrier, offering customers greater flexibility and smoother connections when travelling across the two airlines’ networks. The cooperation also brings their hubs and networks closer together, creating new opportunities to further deepen their partnership and deliver greater value to customers. Since launching their codeshare cooperation on the Kuala Lumpur-Guangzhou route in July 2023, the two airlines have continued to build on their partnership. In July 2024, the cooperation was further extended to cover the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing Daxing, Kuala Lumpur-Shanghai Pudong and Penang-Guangzhou routes. The deepened cooperation reflects both airlines’ continued investment in the Malaysia-China market: Malaysia Airlines has launched new air services from Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu, Shenzhen and Changsha this year, while China Southern Airlines has continued to increase capacity on its Kuala Lumpur-Guangzhou/Shenzhen routes. The codeshare cooperation underscores the significance of the Malaysia-China market, which is highly valued by both airlines. With this round of expansion, all routes linking Kuala Lumpur with Guangzhou, Beijing Daxing, Shanghai Pudong, Shenzhen, Changsha, Xiamen, Chengdu Tianfu and Zhengzhou are now under the scope of codeshare cooperation, covering all Kuala Lumpur-related routes operated by both airlines. Captain Nasaruddin A. Bakar, President and Group Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG),said, “Malaysia Airlines is pleased to further strengthen its partnership with China Southern Airlines and offer customers more ways to travel between Malaysia and China. China remains a key strategic market for Malaysia Airlines, and our continued expansion in the country reflects the importance we place on strengthening our connections with the region. This cooperation complements our network, giving customers greater access to key destinations across China while strengthening the links between our respective networks. We look forward to building on the strong foundation of our partnership and exploring further opportunities to deepen our cooperation, while supporting the continued growth of tourism, trade and business ties between Malaysia and China.” Han Wensheng, President of China Southern Air Holding Company Limited, said, “China Southern Airlines highly values the enormous growth potential of the Malaysian market. By working closely with Malaysia Airlines, we will further leverage our respective strengths, increase flight frequencies between China and Malaysia, and fully capitalise on the opportunities presented by the mutual visa-free policies. This will offer passengers more diversified and convenient travel options, while injecting new momentum into air connectivity between our two countries and supporting the Belt and Road Initiative. We are committed to deepening our partnership to deliver greater value to customers and facilitate closer tourism, trade and economic cooperation between China and Malaysia.” Air New Zealand boosts capacity between Shanghai and Auckland Air New Zealand is adding more than 7,000 seats between Shanghai and Auckland over Chinese New Year, increasing capacity during one of the busiest travel periods for Chinese visitors to New Zealand. From 23 January to 20 February 2027, the airline will operate three additional return services a week between Shanghai and Auckland, bringing the weekly total to ten a week. Air New Zealand Chief Commercial Officer Scott Wilkinson says the extra services are in response to strong customer demand over the Chinese New Year period. “We’re being deliberate about where we add capacity, and Shanghai at this time of year is a fantastic opportunity. These extra flights will make it easier for more visitors to experience New Zealand at the height of summer and connect into our domestic network supporting tourism and businesses across the country. More flights also create more cargo capacity at an important time of year, helping New Zealand exporters get more of their products into China. And it’s not just about visitors coming to New Zealand. The extra flights will give customers travelling from New Zealand more choice too, including those heading to China to spend Chinese New Year with family and friends, or travelling further afield,” says Scott. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]