AirAsia MOVE Adds China Eastern and Shanghai Airlines
Planning a trip from Malaysia to China is about to get a little simpler. AirAsia MOVE has announced direct partnerships with China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines, two of China's biggest carriers, bringing more flights and more route choices into a single travel app.
The tie-up was confirmed in Kuala Lumpur on 28 September 2026 and sits under AirAsia MOVE's Flybeyond strategy, which builds direct relationships with airlines instead of routing everything through third parties. For travellers, that means broader access to flights between Malaysia and China, and fewer tabs open when you are trying to piece a journey together.
More Chinese cities within reach
The two carriers open up a wider spread of mainland destinations beyond the usual first stops. Through the partnership, AirAsia MOVE is highlighting routes to Qingdao, Wuhan, Changsha and Zhengzhou among others, with all-in return fares starting from RM1,030 for travel up to 4 November 2026. That puts a handful of second-tier Chinese cities, the kind that are often awkward to book from Malaysia, within easy reach for a holiday, a business trip or a visit to family.
China Eastern Airlines is one of China's three largest carriers and is based in Shanghai, while Shanghai Airlines operates as part of the same group, so between them they cover a dense network across the country. Whether you are heading to Shanghai itself, connecting onward to Beijing, or exploring somewhere less obvious, there are now more ways to get there from Malaysia in one place.
One app for the whole trip
Beyond the flight, AirAsia MOVE lets you add hotel bookings and other travel essentials in the same app, so a whole trip can be planned and paid for without hopping between sites. Direct airline partnerships also tend to mean steadier schedules and fares for travellers, since the app is dealing with the carriers themselves rather than a chain of resellers.
It is the latest in a run of airline additions for the platform this year, after MOVE brought four new airline partners on board earlier in 2026. If China has been on your list, it is worth opening AirAsia MOVE to check the exact cities, dates and prices for your trip, as promotional fares and travel windows can change. For the full announcement, AirAsia MOVE has shared the details on its official newsroom.
