SEPANG – Malaysia Airports has accelerated the transformation of its nationwide airport network, delivering tangible improvements in passenger experience, strengthening international connectivity and advancing major infrastructure investments to support Malaysia's long-term aviation growth.

Following its privatisation exercise in March 2025, Malaysia Airports embarked on an organisation-wide transformation to strengthen governance, project delivery and internal capabilities. This has been underpinned by three core initiatives: a structured capital allocation process to strengthen project governance and execution; procurement transformation to improve sourcing efficiency and value creation; and the review of a group-wide operating model to enhance organisational capabilities and operational effectiveness.

Together, these initiatives have strengthened how projects are planned, prioritised and delivered across the organisation, as the Group drives an ambitious business plan anchored on three strategic pillars of Service, Growth and Capacity.

Elevating Service: Reliable Operations, Better Experience, Anchored on Safety

Under its Service pillar, Malaysia Airports has significantly enhanced the passenger journey through a series of improvements across its airport network. At KL International Airport (KLIA), the Aerotrain has resumed full 24-hour operations following the successful completion of the Comprehensive Action Plan, while the Vehicle Access Management System (VAMS) has tangibly improved kerbside traffic management and safety, achieving over 99% compliance with the 10-minute stay limit.

Passenger processing has also improved through the proof-of-concept for centralised security screening at KLIA Terminal 2, doubling screening throughput to 500 passengers per hour. At KLIA Terminal 1, the call-to-gate concept now displays boarding gate information closer to departure, reducing crowding at boarding gates and providing passengers with a more comfortable waiting experience. Passenger flow has also improved through predictive passenger forecasting and closer collaboration with border agencies to enhance immigration queue management. Through successful collaboration with the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, a Green Lane was introduced for arriving passengers at Terminal 1 in January 2026, while the mandatory customs check after immigration was removed for departing passengers. Together, these customer-centric improvements have significantly eased the flow of both arriving and departing journeys for passengers.

Across the wider airport network, passenger improvements include upgraded check-in halls, refurbished washrooms, enhanced flight information display systems, improved seating, family-friendly facilities and clearer wayfinding at airports including Penang, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Subang, Miri, Labuan, Lahad Datu, Alor Setar, Kuantan and Kota Bharu.

Improvement to functional services aside, Malaysia Airports has also invested in enriching experiential time for passengers with nature-inspired and cultural attractions such as the Rimba forest walk and Heritage Lanes at KLIA, as well as the Orang Utan, Harimau and Helang playgrounds at KLIA and Langkawi.

Driving Growth: Connectivity, Competitiveness, Commercial Uplift

Through a targeted aviation growth strategy, Malaysia Airports has expanded international connectivity through new airlines and new international services linking Malaysia with key markets across Asia, Europe and North Africa. In 2025, traffic performance at KLIA grew by 11% to reach 63.4 million passengers. Over the year, 15 new airlines and 40 new services were added to the Malaysian network, while the first half of 2026 has seen 8 new airlines and 23 new services. This outstanding growth has been recognised through accolades from Airports Council International (ACI) and OAG Megahubs, with Malaysia named a leader in regional connectivity growth and KLIA as the most connected hub in Asia Pacific for 2025.

Malaysia now connects directly with several new international destinations including Shanghai, Jinan, Hong Kong and Algiers through airlines such as Air Algérie, Hainan Airlines, Juneyao Air, Shandong Airlines, HK Express and Spring Airlines. Beyond KLIA, connectivity has also strengthened across the network, with Penang welcoming new services from Shanghai, Guangzhou, Qingdao and Chongqing; Kota Kinabalu expanding links to Hong Kong, Chengdu and Chongqing; while Kota Bharu and Ipoh gained new international connections to Singapore and Jakarta.. Looking ahead, the return of Lufthansa with direct services to Frankfurt and British Airways' expansion of services between London and Melbourne via Kuala Lumpur will further reinforce KLIA's position as a leading regional gateway.

Broader strategic initiatives to drive growth also include reforms to modernise the country's air cargo ecosystem, the expansion of digital services such as cashless parking and online bookings at key airports, the launch of several airport shopping campaigns, as well as strategic collaborations including the Aeropolis Solar Park and the Penang International Logistics Aeropark.

Capacity: Building Tomorrow’s Airports

Malaysia Airports recently announced a RM11.5 billion Capex plan over the next five years, with a significant allocation to drive strategic initiatives under its Capacity pillar, aimed at modernising infrastructure, replacing critical assets and expanding capacity across its nationwide airport network.

The expansion of Ipoh airport was completed in April 2025, with an increased capacity from 500,000 to 700,000 per year. Earlier this year, the newly renovated Kota Bharu airport opened for full operations, now catering to 4 million passengers per year. Major airport expansion projects are currently underway at Penang International Airport and Kota Kinabalu International Airport, to bring both airports’ capacity to 12 million passengers per year, from the current 6 million and 9 million respectively. Other expansion and upgrading projects are in progress at Tawau, Miri, Sandakan and Lahad Datu.

Complementing these developments is a comprehensive engineering asset replacement programme to modernise critical airport systems and strengthen infrastructure resilience. A flagship project is the massive Baggage Handling System upgrade at KLIA. Elsewhere across the network, new escalators have been installed at Miri and Bintulu airports, while Bintulu, Kota Kinabalu, Miri, Alor Setar and Labuan have received new passenger boarding bridges.

Leadership Continuity to Drive Through Transformation

The Ministry of Finance (Inc) recently approved the extension of Managing Director Dato' Mohd Izani Ghani's tenure for a further two years to continue leading the next phase of Malaysia Airports' long-term growth and development, reflecting the confidence of both the Board and key stakeholders in Malaysia Airports’ transformation agenda.

Dato' Mohd Izani Ghani said, "The achievements charted over the past 15 months collectively point to our commitment to drive a focused business plan to enhance services, drive growth and build capacity. Importantly, this is not just about KLIA but includes all 38 airports in our Malaysia operations.”

“With a strengthened team driving this agenda, and a more stable foundation from our key transformation initiatives around governance, management and leadership, I am confident that we will continue to see better project execution and more disciplined delivery. At the same time, we will keep translating those improvements into tangible outcomes that passengers and airline partners can already experience.

"The wins so far signal that we are on the right path, but we remain mindful that transformation is a long-term journey. We will continue strengthening our capabilities, investing in our airports and our people, to deliver sustainable improvements that support Malaysia's aviation ambitions.”

SEPANG - Malaysia's air connectivity with China and Indonesia has been strengthened through the launch of four new international services by Hainan Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Wings Air and AirAsia. The new routes connect Kuala Lumpur with Chongqing and Dalian via Nanjing, Melaka with Pekanbaru, and Kota Bharu with Jakarta, further expanding travel options between Malaysia and two of its key regional markets.

Hainan Airlines commenced flights between Chongqing (CKG) and KL International Airport (KUL) on 16 May, followed by China Eastern Airlines' launch of services from Dalian (DLC) via Nanjing (NKG) on 23 June. In the regional airports network, Wings Air introduced thrice-weekly flights between Pekanbaru (PKU) and Melaka Airport (MKZ) on 10 June, while AirAsia launched four-weekly services linking Jakarta (CGK) and Sultan Ismail Petra Airport, Kota Bharu (KBR) on 16 June.

The launch of China Eastern Airlines' service marks another step in strengthening KLIA's connectivity with China. Together with Hainan Airlines' Chongqing route, the new services expand access to secondary Chinese cities and support growing travel demand between both countries. With these additions, Malaysia Airports' network now serves 15 China-based airlines.

Beyond KLIA, the new services highlight the growing role of Malaysia's domestic airports in supporting international connectivity. The Pekanbaru and Jakarta routes are the second international services for Melaka Airport and Sultan Ismail Petra Airport respectively, expanding access to overseas markets and creating new opportunities for tourism, trade and business travel. Kota Bharu's new Jakarta connection complements its existing service to Singapore, while Melaka gains a direct link to one of Sumatra's key commercial centres.

According to the Managing Director of Malaysia Airports, Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani, “It is very encouraging that this growth is taking place across the network. While KLIA continues to expand its connections with major international markets, airports such as Melaka and Kota Bharu are also strengthening their international links. This broadens access to new markets, supports tourism and business activity, and creates greater travel options for passengers .”

The additional services further strengthen Malaysia's role as a gateway between Southeast Asia and key growth markets in China and Indonesia. Enhanced connectivity across both KLIA and regional airports supports tourism and economic activity nationwide while improving access to destinations across the region.

SEPANG – KL International Airport (KLIA) recorded 4.9 million passenger movements in May 2026, including 3.6 million international passengers, a 2% increase compared to May 2025. The continued growth in international traffic reinforces Malaysia's position as a key regional gateway under the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign.

Across the Malaysia Airports network, total passenger movements reached 7.9 million during the month, supported by sustained international connectivity.

Regional connectivity was also strengthened in May with the launch of Hainan Airlines’ new daily service between Chongqing and Kuala Lumpur, which commenced on 16 May 2026. The new route further expands connectivity between Malaysia and China, one of the country's key tourism source markets under the VM2026 campaign.

According to the Managing Director of Malaysia Airports, Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani, "The introduction of Hainan Airlines' direct service between Chongqing and Kuala Lumpur further strengthens our connectivity with China, one of Malaysia's key visitor markets. Expanding strategic air links such as these remains important in supporting tourism growth and enhancing Malaysia's accessibility to international travellers.”

Several passenger-focused improvements were also completed during the month, including modernised check-in counters at Miri Airport (MYY) and Limbang Airport (LMN), an expanded e-hailing pick-up zone at Langkawi International Airport (LGK), and the completion of the first phase of restroom refurbishment works at Subang Airport (SZB).

Beyond Malaysia, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (ISG), Malaysia Airports’ wholly-owned international asset in Türkiye, handled 4.1 million passengers in May, representing a 10.8% increase compared to April 2026.

SEPANG- The Board of Directors of Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (“Malaysia Airports” or “the Group”) welcomes the appointment of Tan Sri Dr. Azmil Khalid as its Non-Independent Non-Executive Chairman, effective 18 June 2026.

Tan Sri Dr. Azmil succeeds Dr. Nungsari Ahmad Radhi, who steps down after more than two years as Chairman following his recent appointment as a Director on the Board of Directors of Khazanah Nasional Berhad (“Khazanah”).

Tan Sri Dr. Azmil brings to Malaysia Airports a distinguished career spanning over three decades in corporate leadership, infrastructure development, and international business. He has held prominent executive positions, notably serving as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of both The AlloyMtd Group and ANIH Berhad from 2011 to 2017. Prior to that, he held the positions of Group Managing Director and subsequently Group President and CEO of MTD Capital Bhd. Currently, Tan Sri Dr. Azmil is the Group Chairman of AFA Group and serves as the President and CEO of AFK Group. He is also the Chairman of UEM Edgenta, as well as several other entities, including Sapura Industrial Berhad, Elridge Energy Holdings Berhad, and Cenviro Sdn. Bhd.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Hertfordshire and Northrop University, a Master of Business Administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and was conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Science by the University of Hertfordshire.

The Board of Directors wishes to express its deepest appreciation and gratitude to outgoing Chairman, Dr. Nungsari Ahmad Radhi, for his stewardship during a defining chapter in the Group’s history. Malaysia Airports underwent a landmark privatisation exercise during his tenure which saw the company delisting from Bursa Malaysia in February 2025 to become a private entity under the Gateway Development Alliance (GDA) consortium.

Under his leadership, the Group successfully crossed critical operational and structural milestones during its post-privatisation transformation period. This included driving pivotal capital projects and spearheading key terminal expansion initiatives across the network, including Penang and Kota Kinabalu International Airports. As a distinguished economist, Dr. Nungsari brought an invaluable perspective during his tenure to balance between the Group's commercial focus post-privatisation and its national duty to manage Malaysia's vital aviation infrastructure.

The Board and the management team are profoundly grateful to Dr. Nungsari for his visionary guidance and wish him every success as he moves on to contribute his vast expertise to the Board of Khazanah. At the same time, we are delighted to welcome Tan Sri Dr. Azmil Khalid as our new Chairman to lead Malaysia Airports into its next phase of growth and operational excellence.

The Board also wishes to announce that the Ministry of Finance (Incorporated) has approved the Board’s recommendation to extend Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani’s tenure as Managing Director for another two years, effective 1 August 2026. In maintaining steady leadership at the helm of executive management, the Board aims to strengthen organisational stability and ensure uninterrupted execution of Malaysia Airports' core strategic initiatives, towards positioning Malaysia as the most connected country in Asia Pacific.