ZIPAIR begins daily flights between Tokyo Narita and Kuala Lumpur
The Japan Airlines subsidiary’s new route adds 2,030 seats a week, with Malaysia seeking more Japanese tourists, students and prospective long-term residents.
Japanese low-cost airline ZIPAIR began serving Malaysia on October 20, 2026, with its first flight from Tokyo Narita arriving at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 1. The daily connection provides an additional 2,030 seats a week between the cities.
The Japan Airlines subsidiary uses Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners on the route. Each aircraft has 290 seats, comprising 18 lie-flat business suites and 272 seats in standard economy.
Tourism Malaysia director-general Mohd Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim said the connection would support efforts to bring more Japanese visitors to Malaysia under the Visit Malaysia 2026-2027 campaign. He attended the airport welcome alongside ZIPAIR chairman Hiroo Iwakoshi and Japan’s ambassador to Malaysia, Noriyuki Shikata.
Tourism Malaysia plans to use the service to reach prospective long-term residents through Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H), students through its Edu+ 2.0 educational travel initiative, and environmentally conscious travellers interested in rainforests in Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo.
Malaysia received 283,132 tourists from Japan between January and August 2026, up 4.0 per cent from 272,130 a year earlier. Before ZIPAIR entered the market, scheduled services connecting the countries totalled 84 flights a week, with 23,682 passenger seats.
