PETALING JAYA: The total passenger traffic peaked in the third quarter of 2022 (Q3’22) ended Sept 30, 2022 to 15.6 million, reaching its highest point since the start of the pandemic, on the back of a low base effect and the reopening of Malaysia’s international borders in April this year, according to the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom).
In Mavcom’s latest edition of its industry report ‘Waypoint’, it said that passenger traffic grew by a robust 1,434.3% year-on-year (y-o-y), while domestic and international passenger traffic reached 71.3% and 38.6% of pre-pandemic levels respectively, which represented an overall 55.9% recovery based on the same quarter in 2019. This improvement brings the passenger traffic number in the first 10 months of 2022 to 42.2 million, surpassing the passenger traffic figures in 2020 and 2021 combined.
Its executive chairman Datuk Seri Saripuddin Kasim said that the resumption and introduction of new air service routes by local airlines, as well as the global relaxation of travel restrictions have contributed significantly to the recovery of passenger traffic to Malaysia.
“Air connectivity continues to be a vital driver of economic growth and as such, it is important to review the quality of Malaysia’s connections and align future expansion with the national economic development agenda.
“While China’s zero Covid-19 policy continues to affect passenger traffic in Malaysia and globally, ongoing recovery in other international markets has dampened its impact. The commission is confident that Malaysia is well on track in its recovery. We will continue to do our part in supporting the industry and its players, particularly through our various industry-focused initiatives, including the Waypoint report, which provides in-depth insights into pertinent aviation trends,” he said in a statement on Dec 19.
Malaysia’s 2022 air passenger traffic is set to outperform the commission’s best-case scenario forecast, with the highest number of seats scheduled in the final quarter of 2022 (Q4’22).
In line with global passenger traffic recovery, it anticipates that air passenger traffic next year will grow between 40% and 52% y-o-y, translating to between 74.6 million and 80.8 million passengers, which will be driven by the gradual restoration of key markets beginning Q4’22, with local carriers, including Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, AirAsia X and Batik Air having made plans to restore capacity and increase frequency, particularly in relation to popular destinations such as Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, and the Middle East.
The commission said that the 2023 cargo traffic is forecast to grow between 3% and 4.8% y-o-y to between 22.4 billion and 22.8 billion freight tonne kilometre due to the continued growth of e-commerce as well as the the electrical and electronics sector. Nevertheless, the sector faces potential challenges in the year ahead such as persistent inflationary pressure, rising interest rates and recession fears.
Meanwhile, KL International Airport was the fourth-most connected airport in Asean behind Changi Airport in Singapore, Suvarnabhumi - New Bangkok International Airport in Thailand and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the Philippines.
