KUALA LUMPUR: Subang, Ipoh and Penang airports recorded year-on-year growth in international passenger traffic in September 2026, despite a decline in overall passenger traffic in Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd's (MAHB) local network.
The group's airports in Malaysia handled 7.7 million passengers during the month, down 12 per cent year-on-year.
International traffic fell 2.2 per cent to 4.3 million passengers, while domestic traffic declined 21.8 per cent to 3.4 million passengers.
Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang recorded a 24.1 per cent increase in international passenger movements to 59,000, while Sultan Azlan Shah Airport in Ipoh recorded a 16.6 per cent rise to 31,000.
Penang International Airport recorded a 5.3 per cent increase in international traffic to 348,000 passengers, accounting for about 57 per cent of its total passenger movements in September.
Sultan Ismail Petra Airport in Kota Baru handled 5,000 international passengers in September following the introduction of new international services in June.
The expanded terminal, which opened in April, increased the airport's annual passenger capacity from 1.5 million to four million.
KL International Airport (KLIA) handled about 4.9 million passengers in September.
KLIA's international connectivity expanded with Sun PhuQuoc Airways beginning flights to Phu Quoc on Sept 1, followed by Gulf Air's direct services from Bahrain on Sept 30.
Gulf Air became the 10th Middle Eastern carrier serving KLIA.
For the first nine months of 2026, MAHB's network of airports in Malaysia handled 75.2 million passengers, down 2.4 per cent year-on-year.
International passenger traffic, however, grew 4.5 per cent to 41.3 million.
Malaysia Airports managing director Datuk Mohd Izani Ghani said regional airports played an important role in expanding the country's international connectivity.
"We want to build on this momentum by working closely with airlines and tourism stakeholders to develop routes that create more travel opportunities and support the country's tourism ambitions," he said.
At KLIA, passenger satisfaction stood at 98.8 per cent at Terminal 1 and 99.4 per cent at Terminal 2 in September.
Passenger processing remained efficient, with security screening at both terminals generally completed within 10 minutes.
The Aerotrain met its prescribed service standards in September.
Meanwhile, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport handled 4.9 million passengers in September, an 8.5 per cent increase year-on-year.
Total passenger movements across MAHB's global airport network reached 113.9 million in the first nine months of 2026, up 0.7 per cent year-on-year.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd