Malaysia's overall passenger movements climbed by 15% from the previous month to 6.7 million in March 2023, according to Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB). The airports' operator stated in a statement that the increase was attributable to the reopening of numerous airline routes during the month as travel demand in the region continues to climb. Iskandar Mizal Mahmood, Managing Director, said the active return of airline operations and routes at airports countrywide continues to give him hope for travel demand, and he expects more new airlines to fly to Malaysia in the coming months.
"This month, Indonesian low-cost carrier TransNusa Airlines launched its first international flight from Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur, initially serving only domestic routes in Indonesia."
"TransNusa is the ninth airline operating between Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta, demonstrating the popularity and high demand for the route," he noted. According to MAHB, foreign and domestic passenger movements in Malaysia increased steadily in March 2023, with three million and 3.7 million passengers, respectively. Both sectors saw an increase in passenger movements of more than 10% over the previous month. Year-to-date total passenger movements in Malaysia were 18.7 million in March 2023, a 125% increase from 8.3 million passengers in the same time in 2022.
MAHB said that Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SGIA) registered 2.8 million passengers in March, a 10% increase over the previous month. Total overseas passenger movements totaled 1.5 million, with domestic passenger movements totaling 1.3 million.