Flight Passanger Traffic Increases By 11.9 Percent

PULAU PANGKOR (Malaysia), Nov 18 (Bernama) -- Passenger traffic at all airports in the country has increased by 11.97 per cent or 5.17 million passengers over the first nine months this year, Transport Minister Kong Cho Ha said. He said the total number of passengers using the airports had reached 48.38 million this year as compared to 43.20 million in the corresponding period last year. "The total number of passengers managed by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd in 2011 will reach an amount of over 62 million," he said when launching the reactivation of Berjaya Air service to the resort island Pulau Pangkor, off northern state of Perak on Thursday. Kong said of the 48.38 million passengers, 25.42 million were domestic passengers, while the rest were international passengers. He said the increase in the traffic was due to the increase in demand for aviation service and flight frequencies. Kong said the aircraft movements had also shown an increase by 9.5 per cent to 471,461 in the first nine months this year from 430,363 in the corresponding period last years. However, the minister said cargo movements had declined by 2.65 per cent to 670,462 tonnes in the first nine months of 2011 as compared to 688,747 tonnes recorded previously. He said this was due to the decline in flight frequency and cargo movements by airlines companies. "It is also influenced by the lukewarm performance of the global economy, the increase in the fuel price and natural disasters occurring across the world," he added. -- BERNAMA Malaysia