KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) said it has identified 17 airlines from seven distinct regions to operate in Malaysia over the next two years.
In a statement today, it said Turkmenistan Airlines and four other international airlines started flights to KL International Airport (KLIA) in January and February of this year.
The new airlines provide more connectivity options for travellers at KLIA, enhancing its role as a regional hub.
The new flight services include Air Macau (NX) from Macau (MFM), Loong Air (GJ) from Hangzhou (HGH), Turkmenistan Airlines (T5) from Ashgabat (ASB), and Iraqi Airways (IA) to Baghdad (BGW).
Additionally, flydubai (FZ) offers daily flights to Penang International Airport (PEN) and Langkawi International Airport (LGK) from Dubai (DXB).
MAHB acting group chief executive officer Mohamed Rastam Shahrom said Malaysia Airports has observed a notable rise in air traffic due to proactive strategic route development initiatives put in place after the pandemic.
"By hosting Routes Asia again this year, we aim to entice new airlines to start operations into Malaysia, and encourage others to introduce new routes or return to the country."Over the course of this year and the next, we have identified 17 potential airlines from seven distinct regions to operate in Malaysia," added Mohamed. In January this year, Malaysia Airports recorded 6.9 million total passenger movements across its local network of airports, reaching 83 per cent of 2019 levels.
MAHB said the international traffic accounted for 3.8 million passengers, whereas the domestic sector accounted for 3.1 million passenger movements. "The ongoing increase in international traffic was partially influenced by the 30-day visa-free access for Chinese travellers visiting Malaysia and the 15-day visa exemption for Malaysians travelling to China, alongside an additional 25 weekly flights provided by partner airlines," it added.
At the end of January, the domestic sector experienced a rise in the average load factor, surpassing 80 per cent, driven by increased travel activity during the Chinese New Year festivities, which coincided with school holidays.
MAHB said local airports contributed significantly to the performance in January 2024, representing 69 per cent of total passenger movements, totaling 10.1 million passengers.
Meanwhile, the Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW) in Turkey exceeded 2019 levels by 14.2 per cent, with total passenger movements surpassing 3 million to 3.2 million.Its international and domestic passenger movements registered 1.7 million and 1.5 million passengers, respectively.