Malaysia becomes Visa-free for Indian passport holders

Malaysia becomes Visa-free for Indian passport holders

Malaysia has recently made a surprising and welcome announcement, offering visa-free travel to Indian passport holders, extending the same privilege to Chinese nationals. This decision is a positive development, especially as Indian tourist numbers have significantly rebounded, making India the fifth-largest source market for Malaysia. The move aims to further boost tourism between the two nations.

Malaysia has long been known for its tourist-friendly policies, with a straightforward and affordable visa application process. The introduction of visa-free travel is expected to generate increased interest among Indian tourists, sparking a desire to explore Malaysia and potentially include it in their travel itineraries alongside neighboring countries.

For those considering a trip to Malaysia, it’s worth noting that currently, there is only one daily flight operated by an Indian carrier—IndiGo. IndiGo runs a daily flight to Kuala Lumpur from Chennai. On the Malaysian side, four carriers—Malaysia Airlines, Batik Air Malaysia (formerly Malindo), AirAsia Bhd., and AirAsia X—contribute to over 170 weekly departures from 11 cities in India.

These flights cover all major metro cities in India, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. Additionally, they connect to five destinations under the India ASEAN open skies agreement—Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Trichy, Kochi, and Trivandrum. Malaysia Airlines has recently expanded its services to Amritsar, and there are plans to resume flights to Ahmedabad and Trivandrum. AirAsia has also announced new flights to Trivandrum.

As Malaysian carriers expand their footprint in the Indian market, and with other international carriers making strategic moves, the competition among hubs in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore is expected to intensify. The introduction of a visa-free regime provides Malaysian carriers with a significant advantage in overcoming these challenges and attracting more Indian tourists.

Current flight frequencies to Kuala Lumpur from various Indian cities are as follows: 42 weekly from Chennai, 23 weekly each from Delhi and Kochi, 22 weekly from Trichy, 18 weekly from Bengaluru, 15 weekly each from Mumbai and Hyderabad, 11 weekly from Amritsar, 10 weekly from Kolkata, and twice a week each from Ahmedabad and Trivandrum. Notably, only IndiGo operates seven weekly flights, while the remaining 176 weekly flights are operated by Malaysian carriers.

On the Indian side, the expansion has been relatively limited, with IndiGo being the sole carrier operating flights to Malaysia, currently offering seven weekly flights. Although IndiGo had previously operated flights to Kuala Lumpur from Delhi and Bengaluru, these routes have not been resumed. The airline’s focus on profitable routes amid aircraft shortages may explain this strategy.

In the past, Air India Express and Jet Airways have also operated flights to Kuala Lumpur. The market primarily caters to transfer passengers heading to ASEAN countries and Australia, as well as the Indian diaspora concentrated in Tamil Nadu. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the highest frequencies between India and Malaysia were observed between Trichy and Kuala Lumpur.

In summary, Malaysia has often been the second choice for travelers, frequently combined with visits to Singapore. Unlike Thailand, which has successfully diversified its tourism beyond Bangkok, Malaysia has primarily attracted tourists to Kuala Lumpur, with the islands of Penang and Langkawi not experiencing the same level of popularity.

As Indian travelers become more adventurous and willing to explore beyond traditional destinations, countries are actively working to attract them. The introduction of a visa-free regime is expected to encourage spontaneous trips over long weekends. The crucial question remains: will Indian carriers seize this opportunity and increase flight frequencies to Malaysia? This could be an opportune time for Air India Express to re-enter the Malaysian market, providing more options for Indian travelers and further strengthening the ties between the two nations.