SEPANG – Malaysia Airports today signalled the next phase of airport infrastructure expansion and modernisation across its network with the introduction of the inaugural Procurement and Project Showcase, a new recurring industry engagement platform aimed at strengthening ecosystem readiness ahead of a growing pipeline of airport development projects nationwide.

As part of this effort, the showcase brought together contractors, consultants, suppliers, specialists, and industry partners from across the infrastructure delivery chain to support earlier collaboration, stronger market readiness, and better long-term planning for upcoming airport projects nationwide.

The platform also reflected Malaysia Airports’ broader efforts to build a more agile, future-ready, and well-coordinated ecosystem capable of supporting the rising demands of airport capacity, operational resilience, infrastructure modernisation and passenger growth across the country.

Through the showcase, industry players were provided with greater visibility into planned infrastructure priorities and development areas over the coming years, enabling contractors and suppliers to better prepare capabilities, resources, partnerships, investments and scaling plans ahead of future project rollouts.

The inaugural session highlighted a broad pipeline of projects and initiatives across five key strategic focus areas designed to support the long-term growth and modernisation of Malaysia Airports’ network - capacity expansion and future growth, asset renewal and operational resilience, passenger experience and service optimisation, smart airport and technology enablement, as well as sustainability and future-ready infrastructure.

Under capacity expansion and future growth, the showcase featured major infrastructure developments including the KUL Development Plan, which outlines KL International Airport’s (KLIA) long-term expansion ambitions to progressively support future capacity growth beyond 100 million passengers annually; the expansion project at Penang International Airport (PEN), which will increase terminal capacity from 6.5 million to 12 million passengers annually; and the proposed upgrading and expansion works at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) from 9 million to 12 million passengers annually to support Sabah’s continued growth as a regional gateway.

In the area of asset renewal and operational resilience, the session highlighted nationwide engineering asset replacement programmes, pavement rehabilitation works, utilities and critical infrastructure upgrades aimed at strengthening operational reliability, safety, and long-term airport resilience.

Projects focused on passenger experience and service optimisation included terminal reconfiguration works, kerbside and traffic flow improvements, baggage handling system enhancements, upgraded passenger facilities, and initiatives to improve operational efficiency and overall journey experience across the airport network.

The showcase also outlined various smart airport and technology enablement initiatives involving airport systems modernisation, ICT infrastructure, automation, integrated systems, and smart airport technologies to support more seamless, efficient, and future-ready airport operations.

Complementing these efforts were sustainability and future-ready infrastructure initiatives, including green building features, energy-efficient systems, sustainable infrastructure enhancements, and environmentally-conscious development approaches embedded across multiple airport projects nationwide.

Managing Director of Malaysia Airports, Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani said the platform was intended to fortify ecosystem preparedness across the aviation infrastructure sector, “Malaysia Airports has allocated approximately RM11 billion for CAPEX over 5 years across the network. As airport infrastructure projects become larger and more complex, the industry ecosystem must evolve together with it. Through this platform, we wanted to provide clearer visibility into where the opportunities are heading so that contractors, suppliers, and partners can prepare earlier and scale their capabilities with greater confidence. At the same time, Malaysia Airports benefits from a more prepared and capable ecosystem that can support faster, safer, and higher-quality project delivery.”

Chief Development Officer of Malaysia Airports, Steven Andersen, who led the project showcase presentation, said the objective is designed to encourage stronger alignment between project planning, delivery capabilities, and long-term industry development.

“As the airport landscape continues to evolve, delivery readiness and execution capabilities across the ecosystem will become increasingly critical. Platforms like this allow us to engage the market earlier, encourage more meaningful partnerships, and create a stronger pipeline of specialised expertise that can support the scale and complexity of future airport developments across the network,” he said.

Malaysia Airports also acknowledged the support and collaboration of CIDB Malaysia in facilitating industry engagement initiatives that strengthen the participation and competitiveness of local contractors within the country's infrastructure sector. Such initiatives provide industry players with greater visibility into upcoming opportunities, enabling them to build capabilities, forge new partnerships, and position themselves for growth within increasingly specialised and complex infrastructure segments.

Malaysia Airports intends to progressively strengthen and expand the platform over time as part of its broader efforts to build a more prepared, collaborative, and future-ready airport infrastructure ecosystem capable of supporting the country’s long-term aviation growth and connectivity ambitions.

SEPANG - Following the implementation of the Vehicle Access Management System (VAMS) at KL International Airport Terminal 2 (KLIA T2) on 31 March 2026, traffic flow at the kerbside has improved significantly, delivering a smoother and more efficient passenger drop-off and pick-up experience. Throughout April and May 2026, users recorded an average dwell time of slightly over three minutes, well within the complimentary 10-minute grace period. Over the 2-month period, 99% of users, representing 1,117,170 out of 1,127,986 vehicles at T2, complied with the grace period, reflecting strong public adaptation and improved kerbside discipline.

Managing Director of Malaysia Airports, Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani said, “VAMS is part of our broader service commitment to continuously enhance the end-to-end airport experience for passengers and drivers at KLIA. Beyond improving traffic flow and kerbside efficiency, the system contributes to a smoother, more orderly, and service-driven airport environment from the first touchpoint of the passenger journey. The encouraging early results at T2, following the successful implementation at T1 on 1 December 2025, reinforce our long-term vision of building smarter, more responsive, and future-ready airport operations. Moving forward, we will continue refining the system and elevating the overall kerbside experience, while exploring the implementation of VAMS at other airports across our network.”

Since implementation at T1 and T2, VAMS has helped manage kerbside traffic efficiently, handling more than 7.3 million vehicles to date. VAMS is designed to optimise traffic flow at KLIA’s high-demand kerbside zones, with vehicles expected to complete pick-ups and drop-offs within 10 minutes. The system also includes safeguards to manage congestion and operational delays. Traffic marshals and response teams are stationed across the kerbside area to provide quick assistance, while manual barrier operations and backup power systems help ensure traffic continues moving smoothly when required.

Malaysia Airports will continue to refine and strengthen VAMS, in line with its commitment to delivering a smoother, more reliable, and passenger-centric airport experience.

SEPANG – The successful expansion and operational launch of the new Sultan Ismail Petra Airport (KBR) continued to strengthen Malaysia Airports’ network in April 2026, supporting growing connectivity and passenger traffic in the East Coast region.

From January to April 2026, KBR recorded 562,081 passenger movements, reflecting a 3.9% year-on-year growth. In April alone, the airport handled 131,099 passengers. International passenger movements also continued to build steadily, reaching 4,562 passengers during the same period. Monthly international traffic increased from 873 passengers in January to 1,381 passengers in April, representing a 9.9% increase compared to March. KBR currently operates an international route to Singapore via Scoot, with a second international connection to Jakarta set to commence in June through AirAsia.

The expansion significantly increases KBR’s capacity, allowing the airport to serve more passengers comfortably while delivering a smoother travel experience. With its upgraded facilities and higher passenger handling capability, KBR is now better positioned to support future traffic growth and regional connectivity. As part of Malaysia Airports’ wider network, the new airport is expected to contribute positively to the long-term growth of the national aviation ecosystem.

Managing Director of Malaysia Airports, Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani said, “The network’s continued growth reflects the strength of our long-term strategy, driven by key infrastructure developments such as the expansion of KBR, stronger airline connectivity, and continuous service enhancements across our airports. These efforts support our commitment to building a more connected, resilient, and competitive airport network that contributes to national growth, tourism, trade, and connectivity.”

The local airport network recorded 8.1 million passenger movements in April, bringing the year-to-date total to 35.5 million passenger movements, a 7.4% increase compared to the same period last year. KLIA handled 5.2 million passenger movements in April and 22.1 million passenger movements for the first four months of the year, representing a 10.9% year-on-year increase.

Compared to March 2026, the local network recorded a 10.6% decline in passenger movements in April, while KLIA recorded a 7.2% decrease month-on-month. This was largely anticipated following the exceptionally high travel demand during the Hari Raya festive period in March, alongside operational adjustments by several airlines amid the ongoing situation in the Middle East.

BANGKOK – Malaysia Airports will host the Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific & Middle East Regional Assembly, Conference and Exhibition (RACE) 2027 in Kuala Lumpur, following the official handover ceremony held today at the conclusion of this year’s conference in Bangkok.

The annual gathering is among the aviation industry’s most significant regional platforms, bringing together airport leaders, regulators, policymakers and aviation stakeholders from across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East to discuss the future of airports, connectivity, sustainability, technology and operational excellence.

Malaysia Airports’ role as next year’s host reflects its longstanding engagement with ACI and its continued contribution to regional aviation dialogue and industry development. Malaysia Airports has been actively involved with ACI since the mid-1990s, with representation across regional boards, technical committees and industry working groups spanning areas such as operational safety, economics, sustainability, aviation security, human capital and airport technology.

The company has also previously hosted major ACI events, including in Kuala Lumpur in 2009 and Langkawi in 2018, and will build on those experiences as it prepares to welcome the regional aviation community once again in 2027.

Managing Director of Malaysia Airports, Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani said the conference presents an important platform for airports across the region to exchange perspectives and strengthen collaboration on the future of aviation, “ACI continues to play an important role in bringing the global airport community together to address shared opportunities and challenges across the aviation ecosystem. This is an opportunity not only to showcase Malaysia’s connectivity and aviation capabilities, but also to contribute meaningfully to discussions on the future of airports, particularly in areas such as sustainability, operational resilience, technology and passenger experience.”

At this year’s conference in Bangkok, Malaysia Airports participated actively through several leadership engagements and speaking sessions involving members of its executive leadership team. Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani participated in the Leaders Dialogue session titled “Prosperity Through Leadership: Reimagining the Airport’s Role in a Changing World”, focusing on how airports are evolving amid changing travel patterns, technology adoption and increasing demands on connectivity and resilience.

Chief Human Capital Officer, Nadiah Tan Abdullah, spoke on people-centric organisational transformation and workforce readiness, while Chief Information Officer, Vijaykumar Dayinde, participated in discussions on strengthening airport cybersecurity resilience amid growing digitalisation across the aviation sector.

Malaysia Airports also received recognition during the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) Awards ceremony, where Penang International Airport (PEN) and Kuching International Airport (KCH) achieved ACA Level 1 accreditation, recognising airports that have established a verified carbon footprint and committed to active carbon management and reporting. This follows earlier ACA Level 1 accreditations achieved by Langkawi International Airport (LGK) and Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI), while KL International Airport (KLIA) currently holds ACA Level 3 accreditation. These achievements reflect the implementation of sustainability initiatives across the network, including energy efficiency measures and continuous carbon emissions monitoring, as part of Malaysia Airports’ broader decarbonisation agenda.

The ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East Regional Assembly, Conference and Exhibition 2026 was hosted by Airports of Thailand under the theme “Airports as Engines of Shared Prosperity” and brought together airport operators and aviation stakeholders from across the region to address emerging opportunities and challenges shaping the future of aviation.