Kuala lumpur: Malaysia’s air passenger traffic reached 9.3 million in July, approaching pre-pandemic levels, with international passengers rising by 9.6 percent month-on-month (MoM) and 3.4 percent year-on-year (YoY) to 4.7 million, or 98.7 percent of July 2019 levels.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the growth was driven by increased seat capacity, the government’s 30-day visa exemption for tourists from China and India, and the introduction of new routes such as Kota Kinabalu-Daegu, Subang-Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur-Palembang.

Passenger distribution showed that flights between Malaysia and ASEAN countries carried 2.2 million passengers, while those between Malaysia and non-ASEAN countries recorded 2.5 million passengers, marking a 13.3 percent MoM and a 9.6 percent YoY increase. Domestic traffic slightly decreased by 1.3 percent MoM to 4.6 million passengers due to school and public holidays in June, but it rose 7.4 percent YoY, reaching 94.8 percent of July 2019 levels.

Major airports in Malaysia posted positive YoY growth in July, with KL International Airport Terminals 1 and 2 increasing by 4.4 percent, Senai International Airport by 9.7 percent, Kota Kinabalu International Airport by 7.2 percent, Langkawi International Airport by 6.6 percent, and Penang International Airport by 4.0 percent. Kuching International Airport registered a marginal increase of 0.2 percent.

Cargo movements rebounded 11.4 percent MoM to 93.0 million kilograms in July, although there was a YoY decline of 2.8 percent due to the normalisation of shipment patterns following tariff-driven frontloading earlier in the year. In the second quarter of 2025 (2Q25), air passenger traffic increased by 10.5 percent YoY to 26.5 million passengers, or 99.3 percent of pre-pandemic levels. International traffic grew by 6.5 percent YoY to 12.9 million passengers, while domestic traffic rose by 14.7 percent YoY and 11.8 percent quarter-on-quarter to 13.7 million passengers.

Cargo volumes in 2Q25 rose 4.4 percent YoY to 272.9 million kilograms, supported by a 3.8 percent increase in international shipments, though domestic cargo dipped 1.2 percent. Overall, Malaysia’s aviation industry is on a path to full recovery this year, driven by strong international demand, strategic connectivity, and government initiatives. The rationalisation of the Malaysian Aviation Commission’s (MAVCOM) economic functions under CAAM further strengthens the civil aviation regulatory framework.

Norazman highlighted that these developments underscore CAAM’s commitment to sustaining growth, upholding global best practices, and fostering innovation through strategic collaboration.