AIRPORTS HANDLED MORE PASSENGERS, CARGOES IN JAN-SEPT PERIOD

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 (Bernama) -- Passenger volume and cargo traffic at all
airports in Malaysia surged by 14.5 per cent and 19.6 per cent, accordingly,
between January and September, says Transport Minister Kong Cho Ha.

He said the 14.5 per cent passenger growth works out to 43.2 million
travellers vis-a-vis 37.7 million in the same period last year.

Cargo traffic also increased from 580,401 metric tonnes to 694,301 metric
tonnes in the same period this year, he said in a statement today.

Malaysia's premier airport and the main gateway into the country -- the KL
International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang -- handled the most passengers, 24.8
million or 57.5 per cent, of the total passenger volume during the period,he
said.

He said passenger movements at KLIA increased by 17.1 per cent during the
Jan-Sept period this year as compared with 21.2 million in the corresponding
period last year.

"KLIA also handled 508,154 metric tonnes or 73.2 per cent of cargo, the
highest volume in the nine-month period this year, an increase of 21.3 per cent
compared with 418,811 metric tonnes in the same period last year," he said.

Kong said the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT), also in Sepang, which
accommodated 11 million passengers during the period registered 18 per cent
passenger growth compared to 9.3 million in the same period last year.

The LCCT handled 43,403 metric tonnes of cargo, up 103.3 per cent, as
compared with 21,348 metric tonnes in the same period last year, he said.

The Minister said the Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas recorded
30.5 per cent passenger growth from 2.3 million to three million travellers
while the Kota Kinabalu International Airport posted 8.3 per cent rise from 3.5
million to 3.8 million travellers in the period under review.

Kong said the higher passenger and cargo volume clearly reflected the
growing demand for air transport following the "tell-tale" signs of the
country's economic recovery.

The aviation liberalisation exercise between Malaysia and Singapore
airlines also contributed to the bigger number of travellers and cargo volume,
he said.

"Passenger and cargo movements are expected to increase significantly by
year-end than last year," he added.
-- BERNAMA