Malaysia Airlines, China Southern expand codeshare partnership

Dhaka: Malaysia Airlines and China Southern Airlines have expanded their codeshare partnership to include five additional routes between Malaysia and China, effective October 25, according to an official statement.

The new codeshare covers flights linking Kuala Lumpur with Shenzhen, Changsha, Xiamen, Chengdu, and Zhengzhou. Under the arrangement, both carriers will place their flight codes on eligible services operated by either airline.

With this expansion, all Kuala Lumpur-related routes operated by the two carriers between Malaysia and China are now covered by the codeshare. The covered routes also include Guangzhou, Beijing Daxing, and Shanghai Pudong.

The two airlines launched their codeshare cooperation on the Kuala Lumpur-Guangzhou route in July 2023. It was extended to Kuala Lumpur-Beijing Daxing, Kuala Lumpur-Shanghai Pudong, and Penang-Guangzhou a year later in July 2024.

The expanded cooperation follows recent growth by both carriers in the Malaysia-China market. Malaysia Airlines launched new services from Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu, Shenzhen, and Changsha this year, while China Southern has continued to raise capacity on its Kuala Lumpur-Guangzhou and Kuala Lumpur-Shenzhen routes.

Malaysia Aviation Group President and Group Chief Executive Officer Captain Nasaruddin A. Bakar said China remains a key strategic market for Malaysia Airlines. He added that the partnership gives customers greater access to key destinations across China.

China Southern Air Holding Company President Han Wensheng said the airline sees significant growth potential in the Malaysian market. He said the carrier aims to increase flight frequencies between the two countries and take advantage of the mutual visa-free policies.

Han also said the cooperation will support the Belt and Road Initiative, along with tourism, trade, and economic ties between China and Malaysia.