KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 14): Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) targets passenger growth of 5% for 2017, driven by not only growth in its Kuala Lumpur International Airport(KLIA) and klia2 numbers, but its other airports as well.

MAHB managing director Datuk Badlisham Ghazali shared that the airport operator’s passenger growth rate is currently trending at about 5%.

“We will probably see that kind of rate [of 5% n 2017].

“What we are going to do is not only grow our numbers in KLIA and klia2, but also our other hubs in Penang, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Langkawi and Kota Bharu,” he told reporters, after the ground breaking ceremony on Phase 2 of the Mitsui Outlet Park KLIA Sepang.

The management of the Mitsui Outlet Park is currently undertaken by MFMA Development Sdn Bhd, a joint venture company between Mitsui Fudosan Co Ltd which has a 70% stake; and MAHB with a 30% stake.

On Mitsui’s revenue contribution to MAHB, Badlisham declined to reveal a figure, but shared Mitsui’s contribution was significant to the group’s non-aeronautical revenue.

“We are trying to maintain a 50-50 balance between our aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenue; this year we will probably end up with aeronautical revenue being higher than non-aeronautical revenue, as we had announced higher passenger numbers,” shared Badlisham.

MAHB saw the fastest-growing number of passengers pass through the 39 airports that it manages in the country in September 2016, with a 12.3% year-on-year growth. 

Passenger numbers grew to 7.48 million in September, compared with 6.66 million in the same month last year.