KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 — Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd’s (MAHB) April 2024 traffic expanded by 7.6 per cent to 11 million passengers compared to the preceding month’s 10.2 million passengers movement.

The airport operator reported a total traffic performance of 7.6 million passengers across its local airports in Malaysia during the month, an eight per cent increase compared to 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 2024.

"April 2024 marked a vibrant period for local airports under Malaysia Airports, as domestic travel surged by 15 per cent during the bustling Aidilfitri and school holiday period,” it said in a statement today.

In tandem with this surge, aircraft movements also experienced a notable upswing, rising by 13 per cent from 30,382 flights in March to 34,363 flights in April 2024.

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

"PEN and LGK registered 298,266 and 169,326 passengers respectively, 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 per cent of the total traffic performance.

"KUL, as the main gateway, continued to demonstrate resilience, registering a four per cent uptick in international passenger movements, from 3.2 million passengers in March 2024 to 3.3 million in April, reaffirming its pivotal role in facilitating international air travel within the region,” it noted.

At Turkiye’s Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW), both the international and domestic sectors boasted 1.7 million passenger movements each in April 2024, culminating in a total passenger traffic of 3.4 million for the month.

The domestic sector witnessed a 21 per cent surge, with passenger movements soaring to 1.7 million in April 2024 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. — Bernama