KUALA LUMPUR (May 20): Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd’s (MAHB) traffic expanded by 7.6% to 11 million passengers in April 2024, compared with the preceding month's 10.2 million passengers.

The airport operator reported a total traffic performance of 7.6 million passengers across its local airports in Malaysia during the month, an 8% increase compared with March's 7.1 million.

A significant uptick in movements of over 3.7 million domestic travellers was also recorded last month, an increase from the 3.2 million in March.

"April 2024 marked a vibrant period for local airports under MAHB, as domestic travel surged by 15% during the bustling Aidilfitri and school holiday period," it said in a statement on Monday.

In tandem with this surge, aircraft movements also experienced a notable upswing, rising by 13% from 30,382 flights in March to 34,363 flights in April.

The Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) led the charge with a 20% increase, totalling 1.3 million passengers, followed by the Penang International Airport (PEN) and Langkawi International Airport (LGK), each recording a 15% rise in passenger numbers.

"The PEN registered 298,266 passengers and the LGK [had] 169,326 passengers, cementing their positions as key hubs driving domestic travel growth," it said.

MAHB said international passenger movements also maintained a steady pace at 3.9 million passengers, accounting for 51% of the total traffic performance.

"The KUL, as the main gateway, continued to demonstrate resilience, registering a 4% uptick in international passenger movements, from 3.2 million passengers in March to 3.3 million in April, reaffirming its pivotal role in facilitating international air travel within the region," MAHB noted.

At Türkiye’s Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, both the international and domestic sectors boasted 1.7 million passenger movements each in April, culminating in a total passenger traffic of 3.4 million for the month.

The domestic sector witnessed a 21% surge, with passenger movements soaring to 1.7 million in April, from 1.4 million in the preceding month.

MAHB attributed the substantial increase to the onset of the peak travel season, fuelled by favourable weather conditions and festive celebrations, such as Aidilfitri and Easter holidays. 

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