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Langkawi International Airport (LGK)
Departures from Langkawi International Airport (LGK) at a glance
- 34flights a day8th busiest of 30 airports
- 3routes from here
- 4airlines
- 10:00 – 20:35first and last
Collected 28 September 2026. Not live — check with the airline before booking.
Langkawi International Airport (LGK) is at Padang Matsirat on the island of Langkawi in Kedah, west of Kuah. It serves domestic and international flights and is run by Malaysia Airports. Over the full calendar year 2025 it handled 2.9 million passenger movements, 2.6 million of them on domestic flights.
Langkawi is a duty-free island, with tobacco and higher-value vehicles among the exceptions. Goods taken from it to the rest of Malaysia qualify for the customs exemption only after a stay of at least 48 hours on the island. The airport also keeps set hours for flights: its published operating day runs from 07:00 to 23:00 Malaysia time.
Langkawi International Airport at a glance
| Detail | Langkawi International Airport |
|---|---|
| Code | LGK |
| Location | Padang Matsirat, Langkawi, Kedah |
| Distance from Kuah | 13.5 km west in a straight line; about 20 to 25 minutes by road |
| Operator | Malaysia Airports Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad |
| Air traffic control | Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) |
| Runway | One, 3,813 m |
| Flight operating hours | 07:00 to 23:00 Malaysia time |
| Customs and immigration | 06:00 to 23:00, and on request |
| Passenger movements, 2025 | 2.9 million over the full calendar year, 2.6 million of them domestic |
| Terminal capacity | 4 million passengers a year since September 2018 |
Domestic flights from Langkawi International Airport
Direct domestic flights recorded from Langkawi go to the places below, with the airlines recorded on each. Kuala Lumpur appears twice because the flights go to two different airports there: Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) and Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (SZB) at Subang. Check which one is on your ticket before you arrange onward travel.
| Destination | Airport | Airlines recorded |
|---|---|---|
| Kuala Lumpur | Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) | AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines, Batik Air Malaysia |
| Kuala Lumpur | Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (SZB), Subang | Firefly, Batik Air Malaysia |
| Penang | Penang International Airport (PEN) | AirAsia, Firefly |
| Johor Bahru | Senai International Airport (JHB) | AirAsia |
Batik Air Malaysia is recorded on both Kuala Lumpur routes, so the airline alone does not tell you which airport you will land at. Confirm the route and the operator on the airline's own site before you book.
Flight operating hours at Langkawi International Airport
The hours are set out in CAAM's aeronautical entry for Langkawi, in the edition in force from 11 August 2026. The aerodrome and its air traffic services operate from 07:00 to 23:00 Malaysia time. Customs and immigration operate from 06:00 to 23:00, and on request outside those hours.
Langkawi does not run a 24-hour flying day: operations after 23:00 need eight hours' prior notice. Security cover runs 24 hours. These are flight operating hours, not opening times for the terminal building.
Duty-free goods and the 48-hour rule
The customs section of CAAM's aeronautical publication, in the edition in force from 11 August 2026, says Pulau Langkawi is excluded from customs duties because of its duty-free status. That entry lists rubber, marble, anchovies and petroleum products as the exceptions.
Two changes are not in that list. The Royal Malaysian Customs Department said in December 2020 that the duty exemption on cigarettes and tobacco at Langkawi, Labuan, Tioman and Pangkor would no longer apply from 1 January 2021. Under Budget 2026, the exemption on vehicles has been limited since 1 January 2026 to vehicles below a value threshold.
The rule that affects a flyer directly applies when goods leave Langkawi for the rest of Malaysia. The customs exemption on those goods applies only after a stay of at least 48 hours on the island, so a shorter visit does not qualify. The exemption also has a value limit, so check the current allowance with the Royal Malaysian Customs Department before you buy.
In April 2026 the Kedah state government said the island's duty-free privileges had been restricted since 2016, and asked the federal Finance Ministry and the Royal Malaysian Customs Department to restore Langkawi's full duty-free status. The federal government said in April 2026 that calls to restore the status were being studied. No change to the rules had been announced by September 2026.
The terminal and services nearby
The passenger terminal's expansion opened on 1 September 2018 and gave it capacity for 4 million passengers a year, against the 2.9 million passenger movements recorded in 2025. Plaza Premium Group says its lounge, the only one at the airport, moved to a new landside location in April 2026 and is open to arriving and departing passengers.
Maybank and CIMB offer foreign exchange at the airport. There is a post office at Padang Matsirat, 1 km away, and Langkawi Hospital, at Bukit Tekoh, is 12 km away.
Traffic and awards
Malaysia Airports' figures give 2.9 million passenger movements for the whole of 2025: 2.6 million domestic and 300,000 international. That total was up 14.5% on 2024, but in a July 2026 traffic update Malaysia Airports reported lower year-on-year traffic at Langkawi.
The airport won Best Airport in Asia-Pacific in the 2 to 5 million passengers category of the Airport Service Quality Awards 2025, for the fifth consecutive year. It also won the Under 5 Million Passengers category of the Routes Asia Awards 2026.
Recent work at the airport
Malaysia Airports reported an expanded e-hailing pick-up zone at Langkawi as completed in May 2026. Its 2026 releases through September name no new terminal or runway project at the airport.
Getting to and from Langkawi International Airport
Distance and journey time
CAAM puts the airport 13.5 km west of Dataran Lang in Kuah, measured in a straight line. By road, Grab gives an average of 18 km and 20 minutes from Kuah Town, and the Ministry of Transport describes it as about 25 minutes' drive.
Taxis
In a guide dated December 2018, the Langkawi Development Authority described the island's taxis as unmetered, running on a fixed rate card, with taxis of 4, 6, 8 and 11 seats and a surcharge after midnight. It advised picking up a copy of the rate card on landing at the airport.
Grab and e-hailing
Grab runs airport rides at Langkawi and takes advance bookings. Its options include JustGrab, which quotes a fixed fare upfront, as well as GrabCar Plus and a six-seat GrabCar.
Grab lists the pick-up point as Langkawi International Airport - Arrival.
Car and motorcycle hire
The Langkawi Development Authority's 2018 guide describes car and motorcycle hire as widely available on the island.
Common questions about Langkawi International Airport
Is Langkawi International Airport open 24 hours?
For flights, the aerodrome operates from 07:00 to 23:00 Malaysia time, and operations after 23:00 need eight hours' prior notice. Customs and immigration operate from 06:00 to 23:00, and on request outside those hours. Those are the hours for flights and border services, not opening times for the terminal building.
How long must I stay on Langkawi to take goods home duty free?
Goods taken from Langkawi to the rest of Malaysia qualify for the customs exemption only after a stay of at least 48 hours on the island. The exemption has a value limit, and the Royal Malaysian Customs Department ended the island's duty exemption on cigarettes and tobacco from 1 January 2021. Check the current allowance with the department before you buy.
Do flights from Langkawi to Kuala Lumpur land at KUL or Subang?
Both. AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines and Batik Air Malaysia are recorded to Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and Firefly and Batik Air Malaysia to Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport at Subang. Check the airport on your booking, particularly with Batik Air Malaysia, which is recorded on both.
How far is Langkawi International Airport from Kuah?
It is 13.5 km west of Kuah in a straight line, and about 20 to 25 minutes by road.
Can I reach Langkawi by ferry instead of flying?
Langkawi Ferry Line runs passenger ferries linking Kuah Jetty with Kuala Kedah and Kuala Perlis on the mainland.