STRONG 2025 PASSENGER GROWTH BUILDS MOMENTUM FOR VISIT MALAYSIA 2026

SEPANG – Passenger movements across the Malaysia Airports Group’s global airport network reached 153.3 million in 2025, signalling positive travel momentum as Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM 2026) gets underway. Within its Malaysia network of 39 airports, a total of 104.4 million passengers were handled during the year, an 11.2% increase year-on-year (YOY).

December 2025 marked the most demanding operational month of the year, with 10 million passengers handled across airports nationwide, a 15.5% increase compared to the same period last year. The month was defined by an intense festive peak between Christmas and New Year, when more than one million passengers were processed over a single three-day stretch. Operations had remained stable during this period.

Managing Director of Malaysia Airports, Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani, said the performance reflected the strength and readiness of airport operations across the network, “Managing more than one million passengers over a concentrated three-day festive period, reflects the effectiveness of operational planning, close coordination with airline partners, and the dedication of our frontline teams nationwide.”

Passenger traffic growth in December was broad-based across key airports. KL International Airport (KLIA) handled 6.1 million passengers, contributing to a full year total of 63.3 million passengers, a 10.8% increase YOY. Subang Airport (SZB) recorded the strongest month-on-month growth at 34.4%, rising from 142,000 to 191,000 passengers. Kota Kinabalu (BKI) grew 23.5% to 802,000 passengers, Langkawi (LGK) increased 23% to 290,000, Penang (PEN) rose 12.2% to 772,000, while Kuching (KCH) recorded a 10.3% increase to 540,000 passengers.

The strong passenger performance was supported by continued network expansion, with new airline partners and destinations added across the network of airports in Malaysia. These efforts reflect a broader ambition to position Malaysia as the best connected country in Southeast Asia, supported by sustained investment, close engagement with airline partners and a focus on long-term network development.

New services launched in December 2025 further strengthened connectivity at KLIA. These included Xiamen Airlines’ thrice-weekly Hangzhou–Kuala Lumpur service at Terminal 2, 9 Air’s three weekly flights from Hangzhou, and Hainan Airlines’ twice-weekly Qionghai–Kuala Lumpur route. Batik Air Malaysia introduced six new services, including routes to Osaka (Kansai), Singapore (from Ipoh, Subang and Penang), Kuala Namu, and Jakarta (CGK). Additional services were launched by Firefly with five weekly flights to Cebu, and Sichuan Airlines with three weekly services between Chongqing and Kuala Lumpur.

Meanwhile, the Group’s asset in Türkiye, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, handled 49.0 million passengers in 2025, a 17.5% YOY increase. In December alone, the airport processed 4.2 million passengers.

As travel activity continues through Visit Malaysia 2026, Malaysia Airports remains focused on strengthening service resilience, enhancing capacity readiness and advancing partnership-led growth across its network.