adminSEPANG: Malaysia Airports (MAHB) recorded 8.9 million passenger movements in February 2026, bringing the cumulative total so far this year to 18.3 million passengers for the first two months of the year.
MAHB in a statement today said the figure showed an increase of 5.8 percent year-on-year (yoy) compared to the same period in 2025.
Managing Director Datuk Mohd Izani Ghani said passenger traffic for the first two months of 2026 recorded a stable start across the local airport network, reflecting the development of connectivity and continued demand for air travel.
“Despite the increase in passenger numbers, service standards are maintained consistently,” he said.
He also said Langkawi International Airport has been recognized for the fifth consecutive time as the Best Airport in Asia Pacific (two to five million passengers) under the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards 2025 by the Airports Council International (ACI).
According to MAHB, the growth was supported by the airline’s introduction of new services and increased flight frequencies on key regional routes during the Chinese New Year travel period.
Throughout the month, several airlines introduced new routes and charter services, including Greater Bay Airlines’ charter flights between Hong Kong and Terminal 2 of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and China Eastern Airlines’ charter services from Hefei, he said.
It said Batik Air Malaysia also began flights between Kota Kinabalu and Singapore, while Firefly launched a charter route connecting Tawau and Nanjing.
In addition, MAHB said Spring Airlines commenced services between Penang and Guangzhou, while Xiamen Airlines introduced a new route connecting Kuala Lumpur and Hangzhou.
The Chinese New Year festive season also resulted in higher flight frequencies on several domestic and regional routes.
Airlines, including Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, AirAsia and Batik Air, are adding services to high-demand destinations such as Kuching, Johor Bahru, Tawau and Sibu to help accommodate the increased demand for festive season travel as families and recreational travellers return to their hometowns and holiday destinations.
In February, KLIA handled 5.5 million passengers, becoming a major driver of international traffic on routes connecting Southeast Asia, China and other major regional hubs.
Meanwhile, Kota Kinabalu International Airport recorded 760,620 passenger movements, representing an increase of 1.3 percent compared to January.
Despite recording positive growth, MAHB said it will continue to closely monitor global developments affecting the aviation sector, including the evolving situation in West Asia, while ensuring safe, reliable and efficient operations across its network.
— BERNAMA
