MAHB targets more airlines and airport capacity to support traffic growth
Penang airport expansion works will continue until 2028, while Kota Kinabalu airport capacity is set to reach 12 million passengers by the same year.
Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) is seeking to bring in more airlines while increasing capacity at its airports to accommodate future passenger growth, managing director Datuk Mohd Izani Ghani said. The effort also aims to support tourism and economic activity.
Speaking to Bernama Mobile Studio during Transport Expo Asia 2026 (TXA 2026), he said work to expand Penang airport would run until 2028. Kota Kinabalu airport would be able to handle 12 million passengers by then, compared with nine million. He said capacity planning was being undertaken before congestion became an issue.
MAHB is also expanding Tawau Airport, which serves visitors heading to Sipadan Island. Mohd Izani said these include tourists from China travelling to dive and snorkel.
At Kota Bharu, passenger-handling capacity has risen to four million from 1.5 million, providing space for further growth, he said. Mohd Izani said he had been told that AirAsia’s direct Jakarta service and flights connecting Kota Bharu with Singapore were drawing a good passenger response.
He said MAHB was working with airlines and state authorities on a possible Kota Bharu-Bangkok connection. The airport operator was also collaborating with airlines to attract additional direct services to Langkawi in support of tourism.
On airport operations, Mohd Izani said MAHB uses artificial intelligence to forecast busy arrival periods. It shares data with Customs and Immigration to help them prepare and make passenger clearance smoother.
He said improvements to services, facilities and technology at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) were continuing. Cooperation involving Customs, Immigration, police, airlines and ground handlers was important to improve passengers’ journeys through airports, he added.
