— MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd (MAHB) recorded 36.1 million passenger movements in the third quarter of 2024 (3Q 2024), representing a 10.6 per cent year-on-year increase compared to 32.6 million passengers in 3Q 2023.
In a statement today, the airport operator said this performance is nearing pre-pandemic levels, reaching 97.7 per cent of the passenger traffic recorded during the same period in 2019.
"Notably, international passenger numbers have surpassed 3Q 2019 levels by 7.4 per cent, with 18.9 million passengers.
"In contrast, the domestic sector experienced more modest growth, recording 17.2 million passengers and achieving 88.9 per cent of the levels recorded in 2019,” it said.
MAHB said 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 the group’s network of local airports demonstrated encouraging performance in 3Q 2024, with international passenger movements consistently surpassing four million monthly.
"Overall, total passenger movements at the airports in Malaysia for 3Q 2024 reached 24.8 million, representing 92.3 per cent of the levels recorded in 2019,” it said.
Meanwhile, MAHB said that its Turkish asset, Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport, recorded 11.3 million passengers in 3Q 2024, a 12.0 per cent increase over the same period in 2019.
"This growth was driven by international passenger movements, with 1.9 million passengers in September, up 43.7 per cent from 2019 levels,” it said.
MAHB added that domestic passenger movements reached 5.4 million, up 2.7 per cent from the previous quarter, and passenger movements are expected to remain robust, fueled by network expansion and seasonal demand. - Bernama
