KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's air passenger traffic jumped 12.7 per cent year-on-year to 8.7 million in August from 7.7 million a year ago.
The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) said the growth was primarily driven by a surge in international travel, fuelled by the expansion of international routes and the introduction of new flights.
Additionally, the introduction of visa exemptions for tourists from China and India, coupled with a number of new routes, has significantly increased international traffic.
The recent figures reached 90.2 per cent of the traffic levels recorded in August 2019.
Mavcom executive chairman Datuk Seri Saripuddin Kasim in a statement today said that the August's traffic figures reflect the resilience and continued momentum within Malaysia's aviation sector, particularly in international travel.
"Despite a modest monthly decline, he said the strong year-on-year growth underlines the sector's robust recovery.
"With restored international seat capacity, visa exemptions for key markets, and the introduction of new routes, we are optimistic about the sector's ability to meet Mavcom's full-year passenger forecast.
"Mavcom remains committed to ensuring the sustainable growth of the sector while empowering industry players to maintain high service standards as we safeguard consumer rights," Saripuddin added.
According to the statement, domestic air passenger traffic in August 2024, which accounted for 48.6 per cent of the total, stood at 4.2 million passengers, 2.2 per cent higher than last year and reaching 84.7 per cent of August 2019's traffic of 5.0 million.
Meanwhile, international air passenger traffic contributed the remaining 51.4 per cent with 4.5 million passengers in August 2024, surged 24.7 per cent YoY and reaching 96.1 per cent of August 2019's levels, indicating a near-complete recovery.
Of the amount, 2.3 million was contributed by the international non-Asean region, whilst the remaining 2.2 million was by the Asean region.
The international non-Asean region experienced the highest growth compared to other regions, with an increase of 34.6 per cent YoY.
Mavcom added that major airports saw positive growth in air passenger traffic compared to August 2023 whereby KL International Airport led by a 20.1 per cent increase.
This follows by Penang International Airport (11.9 per cent), Langkawi International Airport (8.3 per cent), Senai International Airport (4.4 per cent) and Kota Kinabalu International Airport ( 9.0 per cent).
Meanwhile, as of year-to-date (YTD), the international passengers in Kuching International Airport experienced a significant growth of 25 per cent YoY.
For the first eight months this year, Mavcom said the cumulative air passenger traffic reached 64.1 million passengers, in line with its forecast.
It noted that international traffic continues to be a key driver, constituting 51.4 per cent of the total year-to-date passenger traffic, while domestic traffic accounted for 48.6 per cent.