KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 16): The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) is set to meet its revised passenger traffic forecast for 2024 of 95.4 million to 97.6 million passengers for the full year 2024 on account of a rebound in international air travel.

In a statement on Wednesday, Mavcom said that the projected range of 95.4 million to 97.6 million passengers represents a growth between 12.2% and 14.9% y-o-y and a recovery of up to 89% of pre-pandemic air passenger traffic levels in 2019.

It is worth highlighting that the earlier passenger traffic target set by Mavcom for 2024 was higher at 93.9 million to 107.1 million passengers.

As of September 2024, Malaysia's total air passenger traffic stood at 72.3 million, said Mavcom.

As for the first half of 2024 (1H2024), passenger traffic reached 46.6 million, marking a 15.3% y-o-y increase. International traffic surged 35.9% y-o-y to 24 million passengers, while domestic traffic dipped 0.7% to 22.6 million, as airlines shifted capacity to international routes.

Mavcom executive chairman Datuk Seri Saripuddin Kasim said that the number of passengers achieved as at September 2024 is a significant milestone that demonstrates the effectiveness of efforts to restore international routes and boost travel demand.

Further bolstering Malaysia's aviation sector are initiatives like visa-free travel for visitors from India and China that have also helped spur growth in international travel.

Meanwhile, the reallocation of airline seat capacity from domestic to international routes has been a key driver too. Domestic seat capacity has remained flat since early 2023, while international seat capacity has grown steadily, driven by demand and improved connectivity to key markets such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) countries and China.

Mavcom also reported growth in the air cargo sector in 2024, bolstered by e-commerce activity and disruptions from the Red Sea shipping crisis. Cargo volume increased 14.3% y-o-y in 2Q2024, reaching 5.2 billion freight tonne kilometres (FTK). 

The commission has raised its 2024 air cargo forecast, expecting growth of 10% to 12.5%, or between 20.8 billion and 21.2 billion FTK.

Nevertheless, the KL International Airport (KUL) improved its air connectivity ranking in Asean from the fourth place in 2022 to the third place in 1H2024, with its connectivity score rising from 47.5 in 2022 to 64.7 in 1H2024.

Mavcom has also played a critical role in facilitating route expansion through the issuance of Air Traffic Rights (ATRs). In 1H2024, 156 ATRs were issued, with 20 allocated for domestic routes and 136 for international destinations. 

Leading the list of airlines securing ATRs were Malindo Airways (Batik Air) with 41, followed by AirAsia Bhd with 38 and Malaysia Airlines with 28.