New Airline Additions Propel Malaysia’s International Traffic to 40% Year-Over-Year Growth in 1H24

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Malaysia Airports Group’s local airport network experienced a remarkable 40% increase in international traffic compared to the same period in 2023. This surge was driven by the addition of six new airlines: Cambodia Airways (KR), Flydubai (FZ), Iraqi Airways (IA), Juneyao Airlines (HO), Thai Lion Air (SL), and Turkmenistan Airlines (T5). These new routes contributed to a total passenger movement of 45 million in the first half of 2024, which is 87.9% of pre-pandemic levels from the same period in 2019. The recovery in total seat capacity reached 85% in 1H24, totaling 57 million seats compared to 67.3 million in 1H19. Additionally, the average load factor for 1H24 stood at 78.8%, exceeding the 1H19 level by 3.4 percentage points. This consistent growth throughout the first half of 2024 indicates robust demand, potentially leading to further expansions in seat capacity offerings. Malaysia Airports Group’s local airports showed strong performance in 1H24, with total passenger movements reaching 45 million, marking a notable 15.5% increase over 1H23 and achieving 87.9% of the passenger levels seen in 1H19.

The Group’s Turkish asset, Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW), also reached a significant milestone, surpassing pre-pandemic passenger movements with 20 million passengers recorded in the first half of 2024. This reflects a 16.4% increase over 1H23 and a double-digit increase of 18.1% over 1H19. International passenger movements have been a major driver of this growth, with 1.7 million passengers recorded per month. The airport welcomed two new airlines: Air Arabia, which began operating three weekly flights to Cairo, Egypt, and AJet, which offers 18 weekly services to various international destinations including Ercan, Basel, Tbilisi, and weekly flights to Belgrade, Baghdad, Budapest, Hannover, Hamburg, Pristina, London Stansted, and Stuttgart. This has enhanced the airport’s connectivity and presence in Western Europe.

Domestic passenger movements also grew, with 1.8 million passengers registered per month, a 17.0% increase over 2023. With the summer season underway, international passenger movements are expected to remain strong, driven by high peak season demand.

Meanwhile, the Group registered a total of 65 million passenger movements in 1H24, representing a growth of 15.8% compared to 1H23 and reaching 95.4% of 2019 levels. The Group’s performance this year remains promising, trailing just 5% below the record levels of 1H19, which was the strongest operational year in its history. The robust traffic performance in the first half of 2024 was predominantly driven by international passenger movements, buoyed by increasing air travel demand, visa exemptions for travelers from China and India, and an expanded array of airline routes. Total international passenger movements for the Group saw 34.1 million passengers in 1H24, up from 26.5 million in 1H23, and a 5.3% increase over 2019 levels. Domestic passenger movements were also encouraging, recording a 4.1% growth over 1H23 with 30.9 million passengers, reaching 86.5% of the 2019 levels.

Malaysia Airports remains optimistic about maintaining this positive momentum and is committed to enhancing passenger experiences, expanding route networks, and improving operational efficiencies to support sustainable growth. These efforts align with the Group’s long-term vision of growth and excellence, ensuring it continues to meet and exceed the expectations of passengers and stakeholders.