Sultan Abdul Halim Airport (AOR), Alor Setar

The airport at a glance

• Sultan Abdul Halim Airport (AOR) is in Kepala Batas, about 10–15 km from Alor Setar. It serves Kedah and Perlis and is run by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad.
• The airport has one terminal, opened on 5 May 2006. It can handle up to 800,000 passengers a year and has a 2,745 m runway.
• Scheduled flights are domestic only: AirAsia to Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) and Johor Bahru, Firefly to Kuala Lumpur–Subang, and Malaysia Airlines to Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) and Subang.
• The airport handled 919,875 passengers in 2019, its last pre-pandemic full year. Traffic fell to 275,824 in 2020.
• The Royal Malaysian Air Force shares the runway, so civil flights can be affected by military incidents. The runway was closed briefly in May 2025 after an RMAF jet skidded on landing.

Getting into Alor Setar

• Taxis and Grab cars wait outside the arrivals doors. The drive to central Alor Setar takes about 10–25 minutes.
• Typical fares are about RM 18–25 by Grab and RM 25–35 by airport taxi (coupon system). They are not official tariffs, so confirm the price before you ride.
• There is no train or dedicated shuttle bus at the airport. Anak Bukit railway station is about 5–8 minutes away by taxi and connects to Alor Setar, Gurun, Sungai Petani, Kangar, Arau and Padang Besar.
• For the Langkawi ferry, take a taxi or Grab to Kuala Kedah Jetty, about 30–40 minutes away. A taxi fare is roughly RM 30–45.

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Other airports nearby

• Penang International Airport (PEN) is about 120 km south, 1.5–2 hours by road. It has far more routes, including international ones.
• Langkawi International Airport (LGK) is reached by ferry from Kuala Kedah Jetty, a crossing of about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Arriving in Malaysia

• Flights to Alor Setar are domestic, so foreign visitors clear immigration at their first Malaysian airport, usually Kuala Lumpur, before connecting.
• Since 1 January 2024 foreign travellers must complete the free Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) online. It can be filled in up to three days before arrival, and you show it to border officers with a valid passport.
• Exemptions include Singapore citizens, Malaysian citizens and permanent residents, and diplomatic and official passport holders. The MDAC is not a visa, so travellers who need a visa must get one separately.
• Use only the official Immigration Department portal (imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac). Fake sites that charge fees have been reported.