KUALA LUMPUR (March 27): Malaysia's air passenger traffic saw a 6.9% year-on-year (y-o-y) increase in February 2025, reaching 8.7 million passengers. This growth was fueled by increased seat capacity, the introduction of new international routes, and visa exemptions for tourists from China and India, according to the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom).

Despite a 5.9% month-on-month (m-o-m) decline from January 2025 as travel demand returned to normal after the Chinese New Year holiday, the overall growth remained strong, the aviation regulator stated in a press statement on Thursday.

"Year to date, 17.9 million passengers have travelled through Malaysian airports. Mavcom has projected total air passenger traffic for 2025 to range between 105.8 million and 112.9 million," the commission said.

Domestic air passenger traffic in February rose by 6.6% y-o-y to 4.3 million, while international traffic increased by 7.2% y-o-y to 4.4 million.

The international segment accounted for 51.5% of the total passenger volume in the first two months of the year, with particularly strong growth in non-Asean markets, which recorded 2.6 million passengers (a 10% y-o-y increase). Asean markets saw 2.2 million passengers (a 4.4% y-o-y increase).

This growth was also attributed to the launch of new international routes, including Kota Kinabalu to Tokyo (Japan), Kuala Lumpur to Ürümqi (China) and Penang to Zhangjiajie (China).

Passenger volumes at key airports also continued to rise, with Penang International Airport leading with an 8.7% y-o-y increase, followed by Kuala Lumpur International Airport (7.2% y-o-y), and Senai International Airport (6.9% y-o-y).

Other airports also experienced growth, including Kota Kinabalu International Airport (5.3% y-o-y), Langkawi International Airport (2.3% y-o-y), and Kuching International Airport (1.7% y-o-y).

"February’s traffic performance reaffirms that Malaysia’s aviation sector is firmly on a path of sustained recovery and growth," said Mavcom executive chairman Datuk Seri Saripuddin Kasim.

"As travel demand grows, Mavcom remains focused on ensuring that this recovery is matched by good service quality, robust consumer protection, and sound regulatory oversight to support a resilient and future-ready aviation ecosystem," he added.