Malaysia Airlines will increase its Kuala Lumpur-Beijing service from seven to 10 flights weekly starting January 1, 2020.
This follows the Malaysian flag carrier’s decision to relocate its operations from Beijing Capital International Airport to the new Beijing Daxing International Airport, effective on the same day.
Currently, Malaysia Airlines flies daily between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing. The Beijing-bound flight departs at 1800 and arrives at Beijing Capital Airport at 0020 the next day, while the return flight is a red-eye leaving Beijing at 0130 before touching down in Kuala Lumpur at 0800.
However, with its move to the new Daxing Airport, the flight time for this daily service is set to change. The flight to Beijing will take off at midnight, while the inbound flight will depart in the morning.
The three additional flights will fly on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The outbound flight is scheduled to depart from Kuala Lumpur in the afternoon at 1430 and arrive at Beijing’s new airport at 2050, while the return leg is set to leave Beijing at 2155 before landing back at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 0425 the following day.
Below is the revised flight schedule:
| Flight No. | From | To | Departs | Arrives | Days |
| MH318 | Kuala Lumpur (KUL) | Beijing Daxing (PKX) | 0040 | 0700 | Daily |
| MH319 | Beijing Daxing (PKX) | Kuala Lumpur (KUL) | 0930 | 1600 | |
| MH364 | Kuala Lumpur (KUL) | Beijing Daxing (PKX) | 1430 | 2050 | Wednesday, Friday, Sunday |
| MH365 | Beijing Daxing (PKX) | Kuala Lumpur (KUL) | 2155 | 0425 (+1) |
Malaysia Airlines will continue to use its 290-seater A330-300 aircraft on this route, which features 27 business class seats arranged in a 1-2-1 and 1-2-2 alternating configuration and 263 economy class seats in a 2-4-2 configuration. Passengers travelling in business class to Beijing may also get the airline’s new amenity kits.
The airline says that passengers with bookings for travel from December 31, 2019 to Beijing Capital Airport will have their tickets reassigned to the new Beijing Daxing Airport.
Commenting on the news, Izham Ismail, chief executive officer of Malaysia Airlines Group, said:
“The opening of this new gateway gives Malaysia Airlines the opportunity to begin a new chapter in the long history it has with Beijing. While we had great success with operating the route from Beijing Capital International Airport, moving to the new, ground-breaking Daxing airport will provide us the opportunity to expand and grow further into Beijing in the future. It will enhance the travel experience and comfort levels of our passengers with the airport’s state-of-the-art facilities, and will facilitate better connectivity with our other airline partners.
“This development is in line with Malaysia Airlines’ commitment in providing greater service and better offerings to our passengers in their travels.”
The airline also says that this development is expected to strengthen Malaysia Airlines’ position as a key full service carrier operating into China and will promote bilateral trade and tourism between China and Malaysia.
It says it views China as a key growth market and is “committed to grow sustainable connectivity into China either through more direct flights or via partnerships with key Chinese carriers”.
The new Beijing Daxing International Airport already began operations on September 25 this year. Beginning this Sunday (October 27), several international airlines will start flying to the new airport, including British Airways, Royal Brunei Airlines and Himalaya Airlines. LOT Polish will also fly to the new Daxing Airport on October 28.
Recently, Malaysia Airlines has announced a new codeshare partnership with British Airways.
