Kuala Lumpur International Airport, the largest in Southeast Asia by land area, is bracing for higher passenger traffic this weekend as around 200,000 are expected to attend the 2026 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit.
Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) Group Managing Director Datuk Mohd Izani Ghani said the race from Oct. 2-4 offered an opportunity to boost passenger and tourist traffic through the airport, The Star newspaper reported.
Malaysia’s Immigration Department estimated that the number of foreign visitors could reach 300,000 during the event.
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Passengers wait to check in at Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s Terminal 2 in Sepang, Malaysia, July 19, 2024. Photo by Reuters |
Malaysia Airlines recommends that passengers traveling through the airport during the period arrive at least three hours before departure for international flights and two hours for domestic flights, Business Today reported.
The airline said access to the airport would remain available, but passengers should monitor traffic and road closure updates from the Royal Malaysia Police and consider alternative routes where necessary.
Passengers are also encouraged to use the KLIA Ekspres train service to reach the airport during the F1 weekend.
Kuala Lumpur International Airport served 5.2 million passengers in August, up 3.8% month-on-month, driven by summer travel demand from Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia.
For the first eight months, it handled nearly 42 million passengers.