SEPANG – The spirit of Aidilfitri comes alive at KLIA this festive season through MY Raya Story, a thoughtfully curated campaign that captures the essence of Raya, centred on homecoming, togetherness and meaningful human connection.

From 14 to 29 March during the festive period, KLIA handled more than 3.1 million passenger movements across both terminals, reflecting the strong balik kampung tradition as Malaysians travel nationwide and beyond to reunite with loved ones.

Recognising the significance of this annual travel peak, Malaysia Airports continues to position its airports as more than transit hubs. During this period, they become important gateways where journeys converge and reunions begin, supported by ongoing efforts to enhance service levels, improve passenger flow and deliver a seamless travel experience.

“For many Malaysians, Aidilfitri is a special time defined by the journey home and the joy of reuniting with loved ones,,” said Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani, Managing Director of Malaysia Airports. “As we welcome higher passenger volumes across our network, MY Raya Story reflects our commitment to delivering a seamless and meaningful airport experience, while contributing to the broader aspirations of Visit Malaysia 2026 in showcasing the warmth, culture and hospitality of our nation.”

Anchored on the idea that every journey contributes to a shared festive narrative, MY Raya Story highlights the role of airports as spaces where personal moments seen in every departure, arrival and reunion collectively shape the Raya experience.

At the heart of the campaign is a central installation inspired by the ketupat, a traditional symbol closely associated with Aidilfitri. Reinterpreted through a contemporary architectural lens, the installation features oversized woven panels in vibrant green, forming a distinctive pavilion within the airport space. The structure opens into a ruang tamu-inspired setting, warmly illuminated and thoughtfully detailed to evoke the familiarity of a traditional Malaysian home. Surrounded by complementary structures and lush greenery, the overall setup creates an immersive experience that seamlessly blends cultural heritage with modern design.

Enhancing the experience are integrated digital touchpoints that encourage passenger participation. Travellers can create personalised Raya messages, which are displayed on airport screens, extending festive greetings throughout the airport community and allowing each journey to contribute to a larger shared story.

The MY Raya Story experience is available at KLIA Terminal 1 until 18 April 2026, inviting travellers to immerse themselves in the spirit of Aidilfitri throughout the festive travel period.

SEPANG – KL International Airport (KUL) recently welcomed two new airlines, AeroDili (8G) and Air Algerie (AH) that will further expand Malaysia’s connectivity across Asia and Africa, with operations commencing on 28 and 30 March respectively. Meanwhile, Penang International Airport (PEN) marks the entry of Qingdao Airlines (QW) from China on 31 March.

These additions support Malaysia Airports’ long-term ambition of positioning Malaysia as the most connected country in Asia Pacific, while unlocking new growth markets.

AeroDili operates twice-weekly direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Timor-Leste, following Malaysia Airports’ proactive engagement with the airline and authorities after the Prime Minister’s official visit in September 2025. This included facilitating its Foreign Air Operator Certificate (FAOC) approval with the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), demonstrating the effective translation of bilateral ties into tangible aviation outcomes.

Air Algerie’s entry into KUL is a strategic milestone, creating the first direct link to Algeria. Operating thrice-weekly, the route opens a new North African corridor with no direct competition, complementing existing African connectivity via Ethiopian Airlines and Air Mauritius. Strong demand is evident, with its inaugural flight fully booked, signalling solid commercial potential and early traction in an underserved market. The route was secured through Malaysia Airports’ partnership with the airline via Routes, a global aviation forum where airports and airlines meet to develop new air services.

At PEN, Qingdao Airlines’ new service flies from Qingdao thrice weekly. It is the ninth Chinese carrier operating in PEN that expands access to secondary Chinese cities.

Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani, Managing Director of Malaysia Airports said, “These additions are part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen Malaysia’s aviation ecosystem. They enhance connectivity and service quality while creating long-term value for passengers, airline partners and the wider economy. Our focus is on building a resilient, demand-driven network that supports tourism, trade and regional mobility, and we are actively pursuing new airline partnerships and routes to expand Malaysia’s global reach.”

For passengers, this translates into greater travel choice and more seamless connections across regions. At a network level, it widens Malaysia’s role in linking Asia with emerging markets, including Africa, while supporting connectivity across key growth corridors and contributing to Visit Malaysia 2026 objectives.

SEPANG – February 2026 recorded 8.9 million passenger movements across Malaysia Airports’ local airport network, bringing the year-to-date total to 18.3 million passengers for the first two months of the year. This represents a 5.8% year-on-year increase compared with the same period in 2025. The growth was supported by the introduction of new airline services and increased flight frequencies on key regional routes during the Chinese New Year travel period.

During the month, several new airline services were introduced. Greater Bay Airlines launched charter flights between Hong Kong (HKG) and KLIA Terminal 2 (KUL), while China Eastern Airlines began operating a charter service from Hefei (HFE). Batik Air Malaysia commenced flights between Kota Kinabalu (BKI) and Singapore (SIN), and Firefly introduced a charter route from Tawau (TWU) to Nanjing (NKG). In addition, Spring Airlines started services between Penang (PEN) and Guangzhou (CAN), while Xiamen Airlines launched a new route linking Kuala Lumpur (KUL) and Hangzhou (HGH).

The Chinese New Year festive season also resulted in higher flight frequencies across several domestic and regional routes. Airlines including Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, AirAsia and Batik Air added services to high-demand destinations such as Kuching, Johor Bahru, Tawau and Sibu, helping to accommodate the seasonal increase in travel demand as families and leisure travellers returned to their hometowns and holiday destinations.

According to the Managing Director of Malaysia Airports, Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani, “Passenger traffic in the first two months of 2026 recorded a steady start across our local airport network, reflecting expanding connectivity and sustained demand for air travel. Even as passenger volumes grow, service standards have been consistently maintained, as demonstrated by Langkawi International Airport’s (LGK) fifth consecutive recognition in February as the Best Airport in Asia Pacific (2–5 Million Passengers) for the 2025 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards by Airports Council International (ACI).”

For February, KL International Airport (KLIA) handled 5.5 million passengers, continuing to anchor international traffic, particularly on routes linking Southeast Asia, China and other major regional hubs. Other key gateways such as Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI) also recorded healthy passenger flows, with 760,620 movements in February, representing a 1.3% increase compared with January.

While passenger demand across the region remains resilient, Malaysia Airports continues to closely monitor global developments affecting the aviation sector, including the evolving situation in the Middle East. The Group remains committed to maintaining safe, reliable and efficient operations across its airport network.

SEPANG – The launch of British Airways’ daily London to Melbourne service via Kuala Lumpur from 9 January 2027, will further strengthen KL International Airport’s (KLIA) role as a strategic transit hub linking Europe, Southeast Asia and Australia.

Operated by British Airways’ Boeing 787 fleet, the service offers customers a choice of four cabins, including World Traveller, (economy), World Traveller Plus (premium economy), Club World (business class) and First.

The service positions Kuala Lumpur as an important stopover along one of the world’s most established long-haul corridors. By routing the service through KLIA, customers travelling between Europe and Australia will benefit from seamless connections via Kuala Lumpur, reinforcing the airport’s competitiveness as a regional transit hub for travellers.

The service strengthens British Airways’ presence at KLIA as a founding member of the oneworld alliance, offering customers greater connectivity and transfer opportunities through Kuala Lumpur. It also supports KLIA's broader strategy to expand long-haul connectivity and advance the airport operator's ambition to position Malaysia as the most connected country in the Asia Pacific.

Malaysia Airports Managing Director, Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani, said: “The expansion of British Airways’ operations through Kuala Lumpur signals strong confidence in KLIA as a competitive Southeast Asian gateway. The service enhances connectivity across three key regions, Europe, Southeast Asia and Australia, while strengthening Kuala Lumpur’s role as an efficient transit hub for long-haul travel. It also demonstrates KLIA’s resilience and sustained growth potential amid ongoing global uncertainties affecting the aviation sector.”

Neil Chernoff, Chief Planning and Strategy Officer at British Airways, said: “We’re delighted to announce sizable growth to our flying schedule for winter 2026, including a new route from London Heathrow to Melbourne via Kuala Lumpur. This new service will enhance connectivity for those travelling between Malaysia and Australia, and I’m confident it will prove popular with both leisure and business travellers.

‘Kuala Lumpur remains an important gateway to our broader Asia Pacific network, and this expansion reaffirms our commitment to the region. We’re also increasing services across several high-demand routes around the world, and together these changes represent a significant investment in our global network, adding more options and greater flexibility for our customers.”

KLIA is well positioned to support the anticipated increase in passenger traffic, with strong operational readiness, efficient passenger processing and ongoing enhancements to terminal facilities and services to ensure a smooth and reliable travel experience.

In addition to passenger connectivity, the service will also provide additional cargo capacity, supporting trade flows between the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Australia. As international travel demand continues to grow and Visit Malaysia 2026 is underway, the expanded service further reinforces KLIA’s role in supporting tourism, trade and long-term aviation growth.