Malaysia Airlines has officially resumed daily flights between Kuala Lumpur and Chengdu, following a hiatus of nine years after the route was suspended in 2017.
The inaugural MH526 flight took off on 9 January with a 91% full capacity, onboard the airline’s Manchester United-themed aircraft livery – a nod to the strong following of Manchester United fans in Chengdu.
With the return of Chengdu, Malaysia Airlines now serves seven destinations across Greater China.
The move is expected to support growing two-way travel demand and strengthen business and leisure connectivity, supporting Malaysia’s inbound tourism ambitions under Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026).
The two countries announced a visa-free policy since July 2025, and recently renewed their bilateral conservation agreement, bringing in two giant pandas from Sichuan, China, to Kuala Lumpur in November 2025.