2012 Traffic Report
MAHB operated airports handled a record 67.2 million passenger
movements in 2012, 5.0% above 2011. The growth could have been
higher if not for the fact that there was significant reduction in capacity
and termination of services by local carriers in late 2011 and early
2012. The international passenger traffic achieved 6.1% growth while
the domestic sector registered a 3.9% increase. KLIA registered 5.8%
passenger growth for 2012. The international and domestic traffic
registered 6.4% and 4.4% growth respectively. In 2012 there were 66
airlines operating at KLIA to 120 destinations. Frequencies operated per
week in December 2012 increased by 179 for international and 50 for
domestic as compared with December 2011. The Main Terminal
handled 20.6million passengers while the LCCT handled 19.3million
passengers.
December recorded the highest ever passenger movements handled by
MAHB group of airports with 6.6 million movements. Foreign airlines
recorded the highest growth in 2012 by 10.1% followed by AirAsia
Group’s 9.6% growth. AirAsia’s market share of the traffic increased to
47.1%, by another 2% from 2011. Malaysia Airlines(MAS) Group
registered a 2.3% decline in passenger movements though on a
standalone basis MAS posted a 2.7% growth. Firefly’s termination of jet
services and cancellation of routes in late 2011 and early 2012 brought
significant loss in passenger numbers for MAS group in 2012.
Nevertheless, the last two months of 2012 has seen significant
improvements in MAS group traffic whereby its traffic grew by an
impressive double digit year-on-year 10.1%.
Cargo movements continued the downslide by another 1.4% in parallel
with the world’s decline of 1.5% announced by the International Air
Transport Association(IATA). Aircraft movements registered a 2.3%
reflecting some capacity reductions.
IATA has estimated 2013 global passenger growth at 4.5% and cargo
growth at 1.4%. The current economic uncertainties including that at
1
Europe and USA, and lower growth in China are negative factors
expected to lower down the growth.
MAHB expects passenger performance for 2013 to be better in view of
increased vigour from both low cost and conventional airlines. AirAsia
group, Malaysia Airlines and also foreign airlines have already and also
are in the process of further increasing their capacity offerings. The new
requests to operate additional frequencies and routes both at the
international and domestic levels have been encouraging. One World
partnership and A380 operations are expected to give additional lift for
Malaysia Airlines. Entry of Malindo Air, Air France and another one or
two established airlines will add to the market out reach. Ongoing
promotional efforts for Visit Malaysia Year 2014 would provide further
impetus to the air travel demand expansion.
Assuming a GDP in the range of 4.5%-5.5%, it is estimated that MAHB
airports passengers would grow by 7.1% in 2013.
This
is
assuming
the global economic scenario does not turn to be worse and the oil
prices remain in the current range 100USD -110USD. Good growth is
expected in both low cost and conventional segments. Aircraft growth is
expected to register a higher growth in view of higher capacity
expected to be offered by airlines. Cargo is expected to remain at 2012
level
as
latest
monthly
trends
has
not
indicated
any
positive
development for cargo.
2