PETALING JAYA: The KL International Airport (KLIA) is set to fly higher.
Not only has its world ranking gone up, but the government believes it can be an alternative to the Middle East as a transit hub for flights between Asia-Pacific and Europe.
“KLIA has the fundamentals to position itself as a viable long-term alternative for certain long-haul transit flows between Asia-Pacific and Europe,” said Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) chief executive officer Captain Datuk Norazman Mahmud.
He told The Star that while Middle Eastern hubs have traditionally dominated such routes, the global aviation landscape was evolving.
“Airlines are increasingly prioritising network resilience, cost efficiency and geopolitical stability – areas where Malaysia offers a strong value proposition,” he said.
The nation’s civil aviation regulator is also preparing the infrastructure needed to support growth in transit traffic over the long term, he added.
Norazman was asked to comment on whether KLIA can be an alternative to the Gulf hubs for long-haul traffic.
This is following the launch of British Airways’ daily London to Melbourne service via Kuala Lumpur from Jan 9, 2027, further strengthening KLIA’s role as a transit hub linking Europe, South-East Asia and Australia.
Recently, flights have been disrupted in Middle Eastern airspace due to the conflict involving the United States and Iran, affecting Europe-bound passengers who would normally transit through the Gulf hubs.
While KLIA is capable of accommodating wide-body traffic, which involves the use of large aircraft for long-haul flights, Norazman said Malaysia is still actively enhancing airport capacity and airspace efficiency to meet anticipated future demand.
“We are ensuring that regulatory readiness, air navigation services and safety oversight remain aligned with anticipated growth.
“This includes facilitating efficient operations for long-haul carriers while maintaining the highest international safety standards,” he said.
He said there was a strategic shift at KLIA Terminal 1 to prioritise wide-body international arrivals during peak transit windows, namely early morning and late evening, to maximise connectivity for Australia-Europe routes.
Regarding which international routes have the most growth potential for KLIA, Norazman said CAAM saw potential in the Australia and New Zealand to Europe corridor where routing via South-East Asia could offer operational efficiencies and reduced exposure to congestion.
“North Asia to Europe routes, particularly from Japan, Korea and parts of China, present strong opportunities as airlines reassess optimal transit points.
“The reciprocal visa-free entry between Malaysia and China makes KLIA an easier transit point for short-stopover travellers compared to other regional hubs,” he said.
KLIA has been ranked 60th in the top 100 airports for this year – a jump from 65th place last year, based on results from the World Airport Survey by Skytrax, an international air transport rating organisation.
OAG Aviation, a global travel data provider headquartered in Britain, said KLIA also recorded a 22% growth in the number of seats departing the airport compared with March last year.
A total of 3.64 million departing seats were recorded this month (March 2026) – up from 2.98 million in the same month last year, it added.
As of this month, KLIA also retained its spot as the second busiest airport in South-East Asia, after Singapore’s Changi Airport.
