KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 24): Local airports operated by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd  (MAHB) registered a total of 6.3 million passenger traffic movements in January 2023.

In a statement on Friday (Feb 24), the airport operator said this was the second consecutive month in which total traffic hit the six million mark, and it represented a 75% recovery against pre-pandemic levels.

It said international traffic fared well, with 2.8 million passenger movements recorded, similar to levels seen in December 2022.

This 62.5% recovery against 2019 levels was mainly driven by China’s reopening of international borders early last month, it added.

The balance of 3.5 million passenger movements were made up of domestic traffic passenger movements, contributed by the festive season and additional flight offerings by MYAirline and AirAsia.

MAHB managing director Datuk Iskandar Mizal Mahmood said the group continues to be optimistic about the recovery of both local and global air travel.

He said the group’s traffic performance had been very positive in the last several months.

"January’s total passenger traffic movements stood at nine million, representing an 81.3% recovery against 2019, with operations in Malaysia contributing close to 70% of the group’s total.

"These positive developments were made possible with the continuous resumption of airline operations and flight routes, as well as the introduction of new destinations," he said.

Meanwhile, Iskandar Mizal said the Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport in Türkiye recorded 2.8 million passenger movements in January, a 3.6% growth over December 2022, with 1.5 million international passenger movements and 1.4 million domestic passenger movements.

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