Why Did Malaysia Airports' Global Check-in System Fail? Operations Fully Restored

December 23, 2025 at 11:32 AM•3 min read

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) confirmed a global passenger processing system disruption, which was fully restored in two hours, highlighting the

Key Points

1Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) confirmed the full restoration of a global passenger processing system on December 23, 2025.
2The temporary disruption affected check-in and boarding operations at airports across the country for approximately two hours.
3Airlines activated contingency procedures, including manual processing, while self-service kiosks remained fully functional.
4The incident highlights the critical need for strong digital resilience and robust backup systems in the interconnected global aviation sector.

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) announced on Tuesday, December 23, that a global passenger processing system outage had been fully resolved. The temporary MAHB system disruption restored normal airport check-in operations across its network. The glitch had briefly affected departing passengers at airports nationwide, including Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

In a public statement, the airport operator confirmed the system provider had restored the platform. "Check-in and boarding operations across our airports have resumed normal operations," MAHB stated. Teams will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure smooth processing for all travelers.

Contingency Procedures Activated

The Malaysia Airports passenger processing system disruption lasted approximately two hours. During this time, airlines operating at MAHB airports quickly initiated their contingency procedures activated.

Key Operational Details

Airport staff were deployed to assist passengers with manual processing.
Self-service kiosks remained fully operational throughout the incident.
The disruption affected core functions like check-in, seat allocation, and boarding pass issuance.
No flight cancellations were directly linked to the system failure.

Travelers reported longer queues at check-in counters. Airline staff reportedly used manual verification and handwritten boarding passes in some instances. The quick activation of backup procedures helped limit the overall impact.

The Broader Context of Aviation IT Disruption

This incident underscores the aviation sector’s increasing reliance on integrated airline digital systems reliability. The system involved is a shared global platform, making it vulnerable to widespread operational disruptions if technical issues arise. The aviation industry has faced several high-profile IT failures in recent years, ranging from reservation system glitches to cybersecurity incidents.

Industry data highlights the financial risk of such events. For large enterprises, the average minute of downtime cost $23,750 in 2024, according to one report. Such costs can quickly escalate during a major Aviation IT disruption.

The Need for Cyber-Resilience

Cybersecurity has become a top risk for the industry. The increasing digitization of air traffic management and passenger systems expands the sector's vulnerability to cyberattacks and technical failures.

Regulators like EASA are pushing for enhanced cyber-resilience through regulations like Part-IS.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is focused on digitalization and ensuring airlines have robust incident response plans.

This event serves as a reminder for all aviation stakeholders to prioritize digital resilience. Maintaining manual backup systems and keeping self-service options functional are crucial steps. These measures allow airports to sustain a basic level of throughput while technical teams resolve the underlying issue. For more commercial aviation news and analysis on system resilience, visit flying.flights.