PETALING JAYA: Air passenger traffic in Malaysia reached 8 million in May 2024, reflecting a modest but steady increase of 0.8% increase from 7.9 million in April and a 12.2% jump from 7.1 million in May 2023.
According to Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom)’s latest air passenger traffic statistics there was sustained growth and recovery in the aviation sector in May this year.
The growth. it said, was primarily driven by increased international travel, with both Asean and non-Asean regions contributing to the increase, despite a slight decrease in domestic traffic from the previous month.
Notably, non-Asean air passenger traffic experienced the highest month-on-month (m-o-m) increase at 2.9%, climbing from 1.9 million in April to 2 million in May 2024. Overall international traffic saw a 2.2% m-o-m growth.
Last month, domestic air passenger traffic constituted 49.1% of the total, while international traffic accounted for 50.9%. This marks a slight shift from April, where domestic traffic was 49.8% whereas the international traffic was 50.2%. The sustained higher contribution of international traffic highlights the growing preference for international travel.
Total air passenger traffic for May 2024 reached 97.2% of pre-pandemic levels. International passenger traffic showed remarkable resilience, achieving 99.8% of May 2019 levels with 4.1 million passengers. Domestic traffic also demonstrated a strong recovery at 94.7% of 2019 levels, totalling 3.9 million passengers in May 2024 compared with 4.1 million in April 2019.
For the first five months of 2024, cumulative air passenger traffic stood at 38.5 million, a 16.% increase from 33.2 million for the same period in 2023. International air passenger traffic surged to 19.9 million, marking a 38.3% increase from 14.4 million in the first five months of 2023.
This surge underscores the aviation industry's robust recovery and the restoration of international routes and frequencies. Conversely, domestic passenger traffic in January-May 2024 declined 1.1% to 18.6 million from 18.8 million in the same period last year.
Domestic traffic accounted for 48.3% and international traffic for 51.7% of the total year-to-date passenger traffic. This distribution aligns with pre-Covid 19 trends, where international travel typically had a higher share. The initial post-pandemic recovery saw domestic travel rebound first; however, the focus has now shifted back to international routes. This shift reflects a broader trend of rising consumer demand for international travel as global tourism recovers from pandemic-induced restrictions.
Mavcom executive chairman Datuk Seri Saripuddin Kasim said, “The May 2024 traffic figures demonstrate the resilience and ongoing recovery of the aviation sector, particularly in international traffic, which is a positive indicator of global travel and tourism health. With the restoration of more international routes and increased flight frequencies, we anticipate this trend to continue. Mavcom remains dedicated to supporting the aviation industry’s recovery, ensuring high standards of airport service quality and protecting consumer rights.”
