Malaysians are flying again: Airport traffic hits 5-month high at 8.4mil
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s air travel recovery is gathering pace, with passenger traffic across Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd’s (MAHB) local network surging to 8.4 million in August, the highest monthly volume since March 2026.
Malaysia's air travel recovery is accelerating, with passenger traffic hitting its highest monthly level since March 2026, according to Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB). In August, passenger traffic across the local network reached 8.4 million, marking a 5.2 percent increase month-on-month. This surge reflects a broader recovery as both domestic and international travel picked up.
Domestic traffic surged 6.7 percent to 3.7 million passengers after a decline in July, while international traffic grew 4.1 percent to 4.7 million. For the first eight months of 2026, the local network handled 67.4 million passengers, comprising 37 million international and 30.4 million domestic passengers. Overall, MAHB's group passenger traffic rose 5.8 percent month-on-month to 13.6 million in August, with the Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport handling 5.2 million passengers, up 6.8 percent.
Major Malaysian gateways such as KL International Airport (KLIA), Kota Kinabalu, and Kuching international airports also recorded higher traffic. MAHB's managing director, Datuk Mohd Izani Ghani, emphasized the broader increase in domestic and international traffic as a reflection of stronger passenger activity across the network.
He highlighted the continued expansion of airline connectivity and KLIA's position among the world's leading megahubs, underlining Malaysia's significance as a regional aviation gateway.
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