Malaysia’s Air Passenger Traffic Hits 9.3 Mln In July, Nearing Pre-pandemic Levels — CAAM

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 4 (Bernama) — Malaysia’s aviation sector is on track for full recovery, with monthly passenger traffic reaching 9.3 million in July 2025, up 3.9 per cent month-on-month (MoM) and 5.3 per cent year-on-year (YoY) compared with July 2024, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).

From January to July 2025, total passenger traffic stood at 61.2 million, moving steadily towards the forecast of between 105.8 million and 112.9 million passengers for the year.

CAAM chief executive officer Datuk Captain Norazman Mahmud said international passenger traffic continued to outpace domestic demand, reflecting Malaysia’s growing appeal as a global travel destination.

In July, international passengers rose 9.6 per cent MoM and 3.4 per cent YoY to 4.7 million, or 98.7 per cent of July 2019 levels.

“The growth was supported by increased seat capacity, the government’s 30-day visa exemption for tourists from China and India, as well as the introduction of new routes such as Kota Kinabalu–Daegu, Subang–Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur–Palembang.

“In terms of passenger distribution, flights between Malaysia and ASEAN countries carried 2.2 million passengers, while those between Malaysia and non-ASEAN countries recorded 2.5 million passengers, a 13.3 per cent MoM and 9.6 per cent YoY increase,” he said in a statement today.

Domestic traffic eased slightly by 1.3 per cent MoM to 4.6 million passengers, largely due to school and public holidays in June, but rose 7.4 per cent YoY and reached 94.8 per cent of July 2019 levels.

Major airports also posted positive YoY growth in July, with KL International Airport Terminals 1 and 2 rising 4.4 per cent, Senai International Airport 9.7 per cent, Kota Kinabalu International Airport 7.2 per cent, Langkawi International Airport 6.6 per cent, Penang International Airport 4.0 per cent, while Kuching International Airport registered a marginal increase of 0.2 per cent.

Norazman said cargo movements rebounded 11.4 per cent MoM to 93.0 million kilogrammes (kg) in July, but declined 2.8 per cent YoY due to the normalisation of shipment patterns following tariff-driven frontloading earlier in the year.

Sharing performance in the second quarter of 2025 (2Q25), he said air passenger traffic increased 10.5 per cent YoY to 26.5 million passengers, or 99.3 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

International traffic grew 6.5 per cent YoY to 12.9 million passengers, while domestic traffic rose 14.7 per cent YoY and 11.8 per cent quarter-on-quarter to 13.7 million passengers.

Cargo volumes in 2Q25 rose 4.4 per cent YoY to 272.9 million kg, supported by a 3.8 per cent increase in international shipments, though domestic cargo dipped 1.2 per cent.

“Overall, Malaysia’s aviation industry remains resilient and is on a clear path to full recovery this year.

“Strong international demand, strategic connectivity and government initiatives are driving this positive trajectory. The rationalisation of the Malaysian Aviation Commission’s (MAVCOM) economic functions under CAAM further strengthens our civil aviation regulatory framework,” he said.

Norazman added that the developments underscored CAAM’s commitment to sustaining growth, upholding global best practices, and fostering innovation through strategic collaboration.

— BERNAMA

Follow us on social media :
Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio
Twitter : @bernama.com, @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio
Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial
TikTok : @bernamaofficial