PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’s aviation sector recorded 9.3 million passengers in July 2025, marking significant progress toward full recovery from the pandemic.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia reported a 3.9% month-on-month increase and a 5.3% year-on-year growth compared to July 2024.
Total passenger traffic from January to July reached 61.2 million, steadily approaching the annual forecast of 105.8 to 112.9 million passengers.
International passenger traffic outperformed domestic demand, reflecting Malaysia’s increasing attractiveness as a global travel destination. July saw international passengers reach 4.7 million, representing a 9.6% monthly increase and a 3.4% annual growth, achieving 98.7% of July 2019 levels.
CAAM chief executive officer Datuk Captain Norazman Mahmud attributed this growth to expanded seat capacity, the government’s 30-day visa exemption for Chinese and Indian tourists, and new route introductions including Kota Kinabalu–Daegu, Subang–Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur–Palembang.
ASEAN routes carried 2.2 million passengers while non-ASEAN routes recorded 2.5 million passengers, showing a 13.3% monthly and 9.6% yearly increase.
Domestic traffic experienced a slight 1.3% monthly decrease to 4.6 million passengers, primarily due to school and public holidays in June, but still achieved a 7.4% annual growth and reached 94.8% of pre-pandemic levels.
Major airports demonstrated positive year-on-year growth in July, with KL International Airport Terminals 1 and 2 rising 4.4%, Senai International Airport increasing 9.7%, and Kota Kinabalu International Airport growing 7.2%.
Langkawi International Airport saw a 6.6% increase, Penang International Airport grew 4.0%, while Kuching International Airport registered a marginal 0.2% rise.
Cargo movements rebounded with an 11.4% monthly increase to 93.0 million kilogrammes in July, though experiencing a 2.8% annual decline due to normalized shipment patterns after tariff-driven frontloading earlier in the year.
Second quarter 2025 performance showed air passenger traffic increasing 10.5% year-on-year to 26.5 million passengers, reaching 99.3% of pre-pandemic levels.
International traffic grew 6.5% year-on-year to 12.9 million passengers while domestic traffic rose 14.7% year-on-year and 11.8% quarter-on-quarter to 13.7 million passengers.
Cargo volumes in the second quarter increased 4.4% year-on-year to 272.9 million kilogrammes, supported by a 3.8% rise in international shipments despite a 1.2% domestic cargo dip.
Norazman emphasized that Malaysia’s aviation industry remains resilient and clearly progressing toward full recovery this year.
Strong international demand, strategic connectivity, and government initiatives are driving this positive trajectory, further strengthened by the rationalisation of the Malaysian Aviation Commission’s economic functions under CAAM.
These developments underscore CAAM’s commitment to sustaining growth, upholding global best practices, and fostering innovation through strategic collaboration. – Bernama