Malaysia Airports, MAG strengthen collaboration to accelerate decarbonisation
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd and Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) are strengthening their collaboration to accelerate aviation decarbonisation, with a focus on cleaner energy, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and more efficient airport and airline operations.
The two organisations are aligning their sustainability efforts to support Malaysia's transition towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as early as 2050, while strengthening Kuala Lumpur International Airport's (KLIA) competitiveness as a regional aviation hub.
Malaysia Airports managing director Datuk Mohd Izani Ghani said the transition would require airports and airlines to align their priorities, infrastructure planning and long-term investments.
"Malaysia Airports and MAG have long played complementary roles in shaping Malaysia's aviation landscape, with KLIA serving as MAG's home base and the country's principal international gateway.
"Our shared commitment to strengthening Malaysia's connectivity must now extend to advancing a more sustainable aviation future. Our respective decarbonisation journeys cannot progress independently.
"We must ensure that our investments and operational priorities complement one another so that we can achieve meaningful progress together," he said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, MAG president and group chief executive officer Captain Nasaruddin A. Bakar said the progress of aviation sustainability is due to collaborations among all stakeholders, including the government, regulators, airports, airlines and industry partners.
"Through MAG's Mid-Term Sustainability Roadmap 2026–2035, the group is translating its net-zero commitment into measurable priorities across its operations and value chain.
"The next step is to turn these priorities into action through stronger partnerships and coordinated implementation across the aviation ecosystem," he noted.
MAG is targeting a 30 to 35 per cent reduction in emissions intensity by 2030 and 40 to 45 per cent by 2035.
The group also aims to reduce energy intensity by 20 per cent and achieve a 55 per cent waste diversion rate by 2030.
MAG recently became the first airline group in Southeast Asia to receive certification under the sustainable procurement module of the International Air Transport Association's Integrated Sustainability Program.
It also became the first airline group in Malaysia to retire Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA)-eligible emissions units, with 80,100 units retired towards its Phase 1 compliance obligations.
Meanwhile, Malaysia Airports' decarbonisation roadmap targets net-zero emissions from Scope 1 and Scope 2 sources by 2040, followed by selected Scope 3 emissions by 2050.
A key initiative is the development of the 36-megawatt-peak KLIA Aeropolis Solar Park, which will feature 45 megawatt-hours of battery energy storage, which is expected to avoid about 35,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
The airport operator is also pursuing renewable energy expansion, terminal energy efficiency improvements, airfield ground lighting upgrades and the gradual electrification of ground vehicles.
The collaboration also covers SAF, renewable energy and resource efficiency, with both organisations seeking to address the infrastructure, investment and operational challenges involved in decarbonising the aviation sector.
The initiatives support the Malaysia Aviation Decarbonisation Blueprint and the country's ambition to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as early as 2050.
