Malaysia Airports’ Regional Airports Record International Traffic Growth in September

International passenger traffic at several regional airports continued to grow in September 2026, led by Subang, Ipoh and Penang, despite softer passenger movements across Malaysia Airports' (the Group) local network.

The network handled 7.8 million passengers during the month, a decline of approximately 12% compared with September 2025. International traffic stood at 4.3 million, down 2.2%, while domestic movements declined 21.8% to 3.4 million.

Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang recorded 59,000 international passenger movements, an increase of 24.1% year-on-year, while Sultan Azlan Shah Airport in Ipoh registered 31,000, up 16.6%. Penang International Airport also recorded a 5.3% increase in international traffic to 348,000 passengers, accounting for approximately 57% of its total September movements.

At Sultan Ismail Petra Airport in Kota Bharu, international traffic reached 5,000 passengers in September, following the introduction of new international services in June. The airport's expanded terminal, which opened in April, has increased its annual handling capacity from 1.5 million to 4 million passengers.

KL International Airport (KLIA) handled approximately 4.9 million passengers during September. Its international network continued to expand with Sun PhuQuoc Airways commencing services to Phu Quoc on 1 September and Gulf Air introducing direct flights from Bahrain on 30 September, becoming the 10th Middle Eastern carrier serving KLIA.

For the first nine months of 2026, the Group's airport operations in Malaysia handled 75.2 million passengers, down 2.4% year-on-year. International traffic nevertheless grew 4.5% to 41.3 million passengers, reflecting continued international travel demand and supporting Malaysia's connectivity ambitions under Visit Malaysia 2026.

KLIA's September Monthly Performance Report also showed encouraging results for passenger experience. Overall satisfaction stood at 98.8% at Terminal 1 and 99.4% at Terminal 2. Passenger satisfaction with terminal cleanliness was above 99% at both terminals, while independent washroom inspections recorded full compliance with the prescribed standards. Passenger processing at KLIA also remained efficient, with virtually all security screening queues at both terminals cleared within 10 minutes. The Aerotrain also met its prescribed service standards throughout September.

Malaysia Airports Managing Director Dato' Mohd Izani Ghani said the results reflected the importance of strengthening regional connectivity while maintaining reliable airport services, "Airports such as Subang, Ipoh and Penang have an important role in expanding Malaysia'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.

"At the same time, growing our network must go hand in hand with improving the passenger experience. Our monthly performance reporting is intended to make service standards more transparent and ensure that we remain accountable for the quality and reliability of our airport operations."

At the Group level, Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (ISG) handled 4.9 million passengers in September, an increase of 8.5% year-on-year. This brought the Group's cumulative passenger movements to 113.9 million for January–September 2026, up 0.7% compared with the corresponding period last year.

The monthly report will provide a consistent view of performance across key passenger touchpoints and help focus further service improvements at both terminals.

https://corporate.malaysiaairports.com.my/en/about-us/reports/operating-statistics