KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), which runs almost all the airports in Malaysia, said the introduction of six foreign airlines, helped Malaysia grow international traffic by 40 per cent in the first half of 2024, from a year ago.
The six new airlines were Cambodia Airways (KR), Flydubai (FZ), Iraqi Airways (IA), Juneyao Airlines (HO), Thai Lion Air (SL), and Turkmenistan Airlines (T5).
In a statement today, MAHB said the airlines helped it achieve 45 million total passenger movement in the first half of 2024, representing 87.9 per cent of pre-pandemic levels from the same period in 2019.
It said total seat capacity reached 57 milion in the period, or about 85 per cent of 67.3 million in 1H19.
Average load factor was 78.8 per cent, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
MAHB said the growth seen in the six month period may spur an increase in seat capacity by airlines.
The group's Turkish asset, Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW), surpassed pre-pandemic passenger movements by 18 per cent with 20 million passengers recorded in the first half of 2024.
International passenger movements were 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 for the period, with 1.8 million passengers registered per month, a 17.0 per cent increase over 2023.
MAHB said with the summer season underway, international passenger movements are expected to remain strong, driven by high peak season demand.
The two markets combined helped MAHB report 65 million passenger movements in 1H24, nearing 2019 levels and 15.8 per cent jump from 1H23.
MAHB said its performance this year remains promising, with results trailing just 5 per cent. below the record levels of 1H19 which was the strongest operational year in its history.
It said its first half of 2024 performance was driven by international passenger movements, buoyed by increasing air travel demand, visa exemptions for travellers from China and India, and an expanded array of airline routes.
MAHB said it would continue to expand its route networks and improve operational efficiencies to support sustainable growth.