MAHB boosts passenger traffic by 10.5%, sees China sector recovery

MAHB expects to meet its forecast of 85.8 million passengers despite Malaysia Airlines' frequency and route reduction. The Bernama pic shows a scene at KLIA the day before Hariraya Aidilfitri this year.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd’s (MAHB) system of airports (including the Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport) handled 29.7 million passengers in the third quarter (Q3) of 2015, up 10.5% over the corresponding period last year.

In the first nine months of the year, passenger traffic rose 5.9% to 83,669 compared with 2014’s Jan-Sept period.

The KL International Airport, whose passenger traffic shrank 1.6% year-on-year in the first half, rebounded to a growth of 0.6% for year-to-date September. (The country’s flagship international gateway contributes almost half of the passenger traffic at MAHB system of airports.)

Announcing its September passenger traffic data to Bursa Malaysia on Monday, MAHB said its Q3 performance was contributed by large increase in movements, especially in July.

“The international movements were highest for July and August for 2015. This was contributed both by Raya travel and summer holiday travel,” the airport operator said.

On the lower September numbers, MAHB said it could be partly due to the current haze that affected some of the airports and also some caution on the part of outbound travellers.

It said the positive impact from the lower ringgit on inbound travellers was too soon to be seen.

On the outlook, MAHB said for airports in Malaysia, there was sufficient airlines seat capacity for the next three months (as indicated in the airlines schedule) to meet the targeted 85.8 million passengers in 2015 though Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has reduced some frequencies and routes.

“The return of British Airways in May and All Nippon Airways in September provide the added dynamism required by the industry. However, September performance seems to indicate some weakening in Malaysia’s passenger traffic,” it said.

According to MAHB, the China sector affected by the tragedy of MAS flight MH370 is showing signs of recovery. “Since May, the average growth of this sector is 18.6%,” it said.

The Middle East sector, which experienced negative growth previously, has shown positive movements since April. The average growth for this sector was 4.7%.

However, MAHB said the Europe sector, which recorded positive growth in July and August, swung to a negative in September partly due to the recent MAS frequencies cuts, which have not been taken up by other airlines.

As for Istanbul SGIA, its passenger traffic performance remained robust in September with a growth of above 20% despite the current runway constraints.

Aircraft movements at MAHB system of airports for the first nine months of this year grew by 8.3% to 708,513 against the same period last year. 

In June, Bernama reported MAHB managing director Datuk Badlisham Ghazali as saying that he expected the company to revise upward its passenger movement target at its Malaysia airports from the forecast of 85.8 million.

MAHB shares fell 6 sen to close at RM5.38 on Monday.