KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd
(MAHB) recorded 51 million passenger movements across its Malaysian airport network in the first half of 2026, up 1.8% from the same period last year.
MAHB said the growth was driven by sustained international travel demand despite weaker domestic traffic.
In a statement, the airport operator said international passenger movements rose 7.7% year-on-year to 27.8 million passengers, offsetting a 4.4% decline in domestic traffic as airlines adjusted capacity in response to elevated operating costs and softer demand.
At KLIA, international passenger movements rose 7.8% year-on-year to 23.4 million passengers, while total passenger movements increased 5.4% year-on-year to 31.7 million.
In June alone, Malaysia Airports handled 7.6 million passengers, comprising 4.1 million international and 3.5 million domestic travellers.
MAHB noted that passenger traffic moderated from May as airlines continued optimising capacity amid high fuel prices, geopolitical uncertainty and shifting travel demand.
Domestic traffic was weakest in Sabah, where passenger movements fell 7.1% during the first half, while Penang, Langkawi and several secondary airports also recorded lower year-on-year traffic.
MAHB said demand from key international markets, including Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, China, Australia, Vietnam and Europe, continued to support growth. International load factors also improved during the period.
Malaysia Airports expanded its network in June with the introduction of eight new routes, including Wings Air's Pekanbaru-Melaka service, AirAsia's Kota Bharu-Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur-Kansai routes, China Eastern Airlines' Dalian-Kuala Lumpur service via Nanjing, Lion Air's Kuala Lumpur-Lombok and Banjarmasin-Kuala Lumpur routes, and Batik Air's Shanghai-Kuala Lumpur and Padang-Kuala Lumpur services.
Across the MAHB Group, including Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (ISG), passenger movements rose 3.2% year-on-year to 74.8 million in the first half, with the Turkish airport contributing 23.8 million passengers.
Managing director Datuk Mohd Izani Ghani said the aviation industry continued to operate in a cautious environment as airlines adjusted capacity in response to evolving market conditions.
He said Malaysia Airports remained focused on strengthening connectivity and supporting airline partners to capture future growth opportunities despite softer domestic demand.
