If you’ve walked through our own Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), you would’ve noticed the impressive number of shops and restaurants available in its terminals. More than that, they generate non-aeronautical revenue. As highlighted by DeCard (https://thedecard.com), Singapore-based stablecoin payment card provider, non-aeronautical revenue makes up around 40% of an airport’s total income on average. KLIA, which serves around 48 million passengers yearly and generates SGD$138.3mil (RM433mil) in non-aeronautical revenue, places fifth on the list of top 10 airports that are the biggest spending hubs. Readily designed to accommodate retail spaces, it has more than 500 shops and over 270 restaurants across its terminals, serving around 59 million passengers annually.

Source: The Star April 05, 2026 21:30 UTC