KUALA LUMPUR: Air passenger traffic in Malaysia rose to 8.8 million in July 2024, with international passengers leading the recovery to nearly pre-pandemic levels.
Traffic levels rose to 91.7% of the 9.6 million passengers recorded in July 2019, said the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) in a statement.
July's figures also represented a strong 114.3% increase from 7.7 million passengers recorded in July 2023, as well as a 7.7% increase from 8.1 million passengers recorded in June 2024.
According to Mavcom, the international air passenger traffic of 4.5 million represented 95.4% of traffic levels in July 2019, indicating a near-full recovery.
Domestic air passenger traffic of 4.3 million in July 2024, meanwhile, reached 88% of July 2019 levels.
Mavcom said the growth was primarily attributed to increased international travel, supported by the continued restoration of international routes, the implementation of 30-day visa exemptions for tourists from China and India, and the launch of new international destinations in July 2024, including Sihanouk in Cambodia, as well Qingdao and Yantai in China.
“The July 2024 traffic figures highlight the resilience and dynamism of Malaysia’s aviation sector.
"International traffic continues to lead the recovery, while the significant growth observed in both Asean and non-Asean routes underscores the resurgence of global travel, driven by restored connectivity and rising consumer confidence," said Mavcom executive chairman Datuk Seri Saripuddin Kasim in a statement.
He said Mavcom is particularly encouraged by the strong performance in non-Asean markets, which indicates a growing interest in Malaysia as a destination and transit hub.
With the year-to-date passenger traffic reaching 55.4 million passengers, Saripuddin said Malaysia is on track to meeting an expected target of 93.9 to 107.1 million passengers for 2024.
