Penang International Airport, a proud member of Malaysia Airports, joyfully welcomed back two prestigious global airlines in the exciting month of October! The return of Qatar Airways on its Doha-Phuket-Penang route, offering daily flights, and the debut of Thai Airways International with daily services to Bangkok has ignited an incredible spark of enthusiasm among us.
MAHB enthusiastically reported an increase in passenger traffic year-on-year, with our local operations recording a staggering 6.8 million passenger movements in October 2023. This accounts for a whopping 67 percent of the group’s overall 10.2 million movements, equally contributed by our vibrant domestic and international sectors, each boasting 3.4 million passenger movements.
The international sector’s growth of 3.6 percent over September 2023 has been an exhilarating journey, thanks to a remarkable 3.3 percent rise in airlines’ seat capacity. Excitingly, new services from KL International Airport to Zhangjiajie, China by Batik Air Malaysia; Kertajati, Indonesia by Malaysia Airlines; and Padang, Indonesia by Super Air Jet have played a pivotal role in this expansion!
Celebrations continue as October witnessed domestic passenger movements reaching an impressive 80.3 percent of 2019 levels, hosting 3.4 million passengers with an average load factor of 81.5 percent – the second-highest to date, following the exceptional record of 82.2 percent in August 2023.
In comparison, Turkiye’s Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW), managed a commendable 3.3 million passenger movements, constituting the remaining 33 percent of MAHB’s incredible total of 10.2 million passenger movements. SAW achieved 4.7 percent above 2019 levels, handling 1.7 million international and 1.6 million domestic passenger movements.
As we approach the year’s end, MAHB is thrilled by the promising trajectory showcased by the aviation industry’s recovery, highlighted by the exceptional operational performance and air traffic movements in October 2023.
Bringing more joy to the table, year-to-date, the group has amassed an incredible 98.9 million passenger movements, marking an impressive 84.7 percent of the pre-pandemic 2019 level. The journey towards recovery has been invigorating, and Penang Airport are energized to keep soaring higher.