KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) reported a 36.1 million passenger movements for the third quarter of 2024 (3Q24), marking a 10.6 per cent increase compared to 32.6 million passengers the same period last year.
MAHB said the performance is nearing the pre-pandemic levels, reaching 97.7 per cent of the passenger traffic recorded during the same period in 2019.
"The improved traffic performance was largely driven by international passenger movements, the introduction of new airlines and routes, visa exemptions for travellers from China and India, and the steady increase in air travel demand," it said.
MAHB said the growth on the local front was primarily driven by several factors.
This includes the introduction of five new airlines - 9 Air, Air India, AirAsia Cambodia, Lucky Air, and Qingdao Airlines - along with the addition of 197 weekly flight frequencies compared to 2Q24.
The extension of the 30-day visa-free entry for visitors from Mainland China until December 2025 also led to a significant increase in passenger numbers, with weekly flight frequencies exceeding third quarter 2019 (3Q19) levels by 24.8 per cent.
MAHB's Turkish asset, Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW), handled 11.3 million passengers in 3Q24, marking a 12.0 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2019.
This was driven by international passenger movements, with 1.9 million passengers in September, up 43.7 per cent from 2019 levels.
"Passenger movements are expected to remain robust, fueled by network expansion and seasonal demand," it added.