KUALA LUMPUR (March 19): Malaysia’s airport network saw a steady start to 2026, with passenger traffic rising on the back of festive travel demand and expanded connectivity.

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) reported that 8.9 million passenger movements were recorded in February, bringing the year-to-date total to 18.3 million passengers, a 5.8% increase year-on-year compared with the same period in 2025.

The growth was driven largely by the Chinese New Year travel season, alongside the introduction of new airline services and higher flight frequencies across key regional and domestic routes.

During the month, several carriers rolled out new connections.

Greater Bay Airlines launched charter flights between Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 (KLIA T2), while China Eastern Airlines introduced services from Hefei. Batik Air Malaysia began flights linking Kota Kinabalu and Singapore, and Firefly commenced a charter route between Tawau and Nanjing. 

Additional routes included Spring Airlines’ Penang-Guangzhou service and Xiamen Airlines’ Kuala Lumpur–Hangzhou connection.

Airlines such as Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Batik Air and Firefly also increased frequencies to high-demand domestic destinations including Kuching, Johor Bahru, Tawau and Sibu, to accommodate the seasonal surge in travel.

KLIA remained the main gateway, handling 5.5 million passengers in February, underpinned by strong international traffic, particularly within Southeast Asia and China. Meanwhile, Kota Kinabalu International Airport recorded 760,620 passenger movements, up 1.3% from January.

In a statement, MAHB managing director Datuk Mohd Izani Ghani said passenger traffic in the first two months of the year reflects “expanding connectivity and sustained demand for air travel” across its network.

He added that service standards have remained intact amid rising volumes, noting that Langkawi International Airport secured its fifth consecutive recognition as the Best Airport in Asia Pacific (two- to five million passengers) under the Airports Council International’s Airport Service Quality awards.

Despite the positive momentum, MAHB said it continues to monitor external risks, including geopolitical developments in the Middle East, which could affect the broader aviation sector.

Malaysia Airports operates 39 airports nationwide and one international airport in Istanbul, Türkiye.