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An interviewwith Hani Ezra Hussin, Senior General Manager of Commercial Services, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad. Malaysia Airports’ evolution as a platform to connect with a higher- spending, experience-led traveller T FWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference is an important platform for Malaysia Airports to demonstrate how it is evolving as a more commercially focused and experience-led airport operator. It is coming into this year’s event – where it is participating in the Hosted Airport Programme – with strong momentum and a stronger commercial story to tell. “What is especially encouraging for us is that commercial engagement is growing faster than traffic,” says Hani Ezra Hussin, Senior General Manager of Commercial Services, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad. “In 2025, passenger movements across our local network reached 104.5 million, while total sales transactions rose 28.8% year- on-year to about 44 million. That tells us something important. It is not just that more people are passing through our airports. Travellers are engaging more deeply with the commercial environment, and that reflects the work we have done to make the airport offer more relevant, better curated and more aligned with what today’s traveller is looking for.” Against the backdrop of Visit Malaysia 2026, TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference is also an opportunity for Malaysia Airports to show how its airports, particularly KL International Airport (KLIA), are positioning themselves not just as transit points, but as gateways that can deliver stronger commercial value, a more distinctive ‘Sense of Malaysia’, and a more engaging experience for travellers. “It is a chance for us to engage partners from a position of confidence and signal that Malaysia Airports is an increasingly attractive platform for brands looking to connect with a higher-spending, more experience-led traveller,” Hani Ezra explains. From reset to continuous evolution Malaysia Airports has been undertaking a broad commercial transformation over the past few years, starting with the need to rethink how the airport experience should feel and function for a new generation of traveller. That meant going beyond tenancy and looking more closely at curation, relevance, storytelling, digital integration and the overall quality of the passenger journey. “Today, we see that work less as a one- time reset and more as the foundation for continuous evolution,” Hani Ezra shares. “The strategic groundwork has already been laid. What we are doing now is building on that momentum, refining the mix, testing new concepts and creating a commercial ecosystem that can respond faster to shifts in traveller behaviour. That is important because the airport commercial environment today has to be much more dynamic than it was in the past. For travellers, that should translate into a more seamless, engaging and memorable experience. For our retail partners, it creates a more agile environment where we can collaborate more closely, pilot ideas more quickly, and build offers that are more closely aligned to actual passenger demand. In many ways, KLIA is becoming a living lab for brands that want to engage an increasingly experience-led traveller.” Traveller expectations have changed significantly. The traveller of 2026 is more digitally connected, more selective, and often more driven by relevance and experience than by traditional ideas of prestige alone. That is why Malaysia Airports’ strategy has shifted towards a more curated, experience- led commercial model. “At KLIA Terminal 1, for example, we have introduced brands such as Arabica, Läderach, Fred’s, Rituals and Charlotte Tilbury, while also investing in more immersive and comfortable experiences like RIMBA in the Satellite Building,” says Hani Ezra. “The intention is to make the airport feel less transactional and more thoughtfully put together. Digital platforms are also helping us engage travellers much earlier in the journey. The MYAirports app allows passengers to access real-time flight information, promotions, and shop and dine discovery before they even arrive. KLIA Airport Parking Online is another example. On the surface, it solves a functional need, but strategically it creates an earlier point of digital engagement, which allows us to connect travellers to relevant offers before they enter the terminal. The integration of the Tourist Privilege Card into the app works in a similar way by reducing friction and making it easier for travellers to convert intent into spend.” Blending global appeal with a distinct Malaysian identity The balance between showcasing local Malaysian culture and offering globally recognised brands is a deliberate part of Malaysia Airports’ commercial philosophy. “We absolutely recognise the importance of global brands in meeting traveller expectations, particularly at an international gateway like KLIA,” Hani Ezra shares. “But at the same time, we believe the most compelling airport environments today are the ones that feel distinctive, not generic. For us, ‘Sense of Malaysia’ means making the airport experience feel distinctly Malaysian through what travellers see, taste, buy and remember. That includes a stronger presence Hani Ezra Hussin, Senior General Manager of Commercial Services, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad: “Travellers are engagingmore deeply with the commercial environment, and that reflects theworkwe have done tomake the airport offermore relevant, better curated and more alignedwithwhat today’s traveller is looking for.” Tuesday 12 May 2026 28 T F W A D A I L Y