In the 14th edition of its Waypoint industry report, the commission also anticipated total passengers for 2024 to exceed 93.9 million.

Mavcom said it revised its 2023 forecast as Malaysia’s aviation sector had experienced robust passenger traffic growth after the Covid-19 pandemic, reaching 69.9 million in the first 10 months of 2023.

The commission earlier estimated that air passenger traffic would rise between 40% and 52% year-on-year in 2023, reaching between 74.6 million and 80.8 million passengers.

Mavcom executive chairman Saripuddin Kasim said the growth in passenger traffic highlighted the ongoing recovery in the Malaysian aviation sector.

“Looking ahead, we expect to see a more pronounced recovery in passenger traffic for 2024.

“The commission anticipates passenger numbers ranging from 93.9 million to 107.1 million. This indicates a recovery of close to 98% of pre-pandemic levels in 2019,” he said.

The upsurge is expected to be driven by increased domestic and international travel, particularly to China and the Asean region.

“However, there are potential challenges to consider, such as rising jet fuel costs, the ringgit’s depreciation, possible delays in aircraft deliveries, and workforce issues, which add an element of caution to our projections,” he added.

According to Mavcom, Malaysia retained its position as the fifth-most connected country in Asean, achieving a connectivity score of 79.7 in the first three quarters of 2023.

KLIA’s Terminal 1 maintained its status as the third-most connected airport in the region, with a direct air connectivity score of 59.9.

Singapore International Airport remained at the forefront with a score of 102.1, followed by Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport at 89.1.