KUALA LUMPUR: Passenger movement across Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd
's local network in September declined about 12% from a year earlier to about 7.8 million passengers, with the decline largely driven by a sharp 21.8% drop in domestic passenger movements.
The airport operator said the number of domestic passengers dropped to 3.4 million over the month, while international passenger volume dipped a slight 2.2% to 4.3 million.
Nevertheless, regional airports, led by Subang, Ipoh and Penang, provided a bright spot for international connectivity.
Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang saw its international passenger figures jump 24.1% year-on-year to 59,000. Sultan Azlan Shah Airport in Ipoh also reported double-digit growth, climbing 16.6% to reach 31,000 international passengers.
Meanwhile, Penang International Airport recorded a 5.3% increase in international traffic to 348,000 passengers, which accounted for roughly 57% of the airport's overall total for the month.
Further expanding international reach, Sultan Ismail Petra Airport in Kota Bharu recorded 5,000 international passengers in September following the launch of new international routes earlier in June.
The surge in operations aligned with the airport’s newly expanded terminal, which opened in April and boosted its annual handling capacity significantly from 1.5 million to 4 million passengers.
Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) handled approximately 4.9 million passengers in September with Sun PhuQuoc Airways commencing services to Phu Quoc on Sept 1, and Gulf Air introducing direct flights from Bahrain on Sept 30, becoming the 10th Middle Eastern carrier serving KLIA.
For the first nine months of 2026, the group’s airport operations in Malaysia handled 75.2 million passengers, down 2.4% year-on-year.
However, international traffic grew 4.5% to 41.3 million passengers, reflecting continued international travel demand and supporting Malaysia's connectivity ambitions under Visit Malaysia 2026.
There were encouraging results for passenger experience with KLIA's September Monthly Performance Report showing overall satisfaction stood at 98.8% at Terminal 1 and 99.4% at Terminal 2.
According to the report, passenger satisfaction with terminal cleanliness was above 99% at both terminals, while independent washroom inspections recorded full compliance with the prescribed standards.
Passenger processing at KLIA also remained efficient, with virtually all security screening queues at both terminals cleared within 10 minutes, while the Aerotrain met its prescribed service standards throughout September.
Malaysia Airports managing director Datuk Mohd Izani Ghani said the results reflected the importance of strengthening regional connectivity while maintaining reliable airport services.
"Airports such as Subang, Ipoh and Penang have an important role in expanding Malaysia's international connectivity. We want to build on this momentum by working closely with airlines and tourism stakeholders to develop routes that create more travel opportunities and support the country's tourism ambitions," he said in a statement.
