KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's air passenger traffic jumped 13 per cent year-on-year to 8.0 million in October compared to last year.
The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) said passenger traffic for the first 10 months of the year reached 80.3 million, putting Malaysia on track to meet its full-year forecast of 95.4 million to 97.6 million passengers.
Mavcom said the growth was primarily driven by increased seat capacity, the introduction of new routes, and visa exemptions for Chinese and Indian travellers.
"These measures strengthened Malaysia's position as a preferred destination for both leisure and business travellers," it said in a statement.
According to Mavcom, October traffic reached 89.7 per cent of the level recorded in October 2019, reflecting the continued recovery in both international and domestic travel following the pandemic.
It said international air traffic remained the key growth driver in October 2024, with 4.2 million passengers recorded.
"This represented a robust 20.5 per cent YoY increase, equivalent to 95.3 per cent of the October 2019 level," it noted.
On the non-Asean international traffic, Mavcom said it performed particularly well with a 25.6 per cent YoY increase.
Meanwhile, it said ASEAN routes also recorded significant growth, with an increase of 15.8 per cent YoY.
"In terms of domestic passenger traffic, October 2024 recorded 3.8 million passengers, reflecting a 5.9 per cent YoY increase but a 5.1 per cent MoM decline.
"In September 2024, passenger traffic totalled 8.2 million, showing a 14.3 per cent YoY increase," it said.
Mavcom executive chairman Datuk Seri Saripuddin Kasim said the sustained recovery of Malaysia's aviation sector is evident in the strong YoY growth reported for October, building on the positive momentum achieved in September.
Saripuddin said the increasing confidence in Malaysia as a global travel destination, coupled with government initiatives such as visa exemptions for tourists from China (which will remain in effect until 2025) and India, along with the introduction of new international routes, have been instrumental in driving growth, particularly in the non-Asean market.
"The steady increase in air cargo volumes further underscores the resilience of our logistics sector amidst global disruptions.
"MAVCOM will continue to support this growth trajectory through strategic regulatory and policy initiatives, ensuring the sustainable and long-term development of the aviation industry," he added.