Johor Bahru Airport (JHB)

3.8

Rating

3.8/5

Flyctory.com Pros

Rather modern regional and international airport
Nice facilities, esp. landside
Cheap transfers
Surprisingly good connections

Flyctory.com Cons

Traffic to/from the city
Toilet issues

When I traveled to Malaysia in February 2024, I was really curious about Johor Bahru. The city in the South of the Malaysian mainland is the key gateway to Singapore. From Subang Airport (SZB) in Kuala Lumpur, I had flights with Firefly to and from Johor Bahru Airport (JHB). Here is my airport review. The airport is also named Senai Airport.

Johor Bahru Airport (JHB) – Location & Transport

Johor Bahru Airport (JHB) is located Northwest of the city of Johor Bahru. The distance to city center is roughly 28km. There is a highway-alike road connecting the airport, which is about 25 to 30 minutes travel time under normal road conditions. However, as the same road is also feeding the key border point for vehicles, especially the travel into the city can be significantly longer due to congestion.

I used Grab, a service similar to Uber, to get to and from the airport. The fee is roughly 30 MYR; about 6 Euro. There is also an airport bus, which is even cheaper (8 MYR). However, if you book in advance, you book a certain connection. My flight to Senai Airport was slightly delayed, so that I missed the bus and would have to buy another ticket. There are also rental car companies represented at the airport.

Johor Bahru Airport (JHB) – Connections

The key operating airline at Senai Airport (JHB) is Air Asia. They connect to Kuala Lumpur (KUL) and multiple Malaysian destinations, but also to Ho Chi Minh (SGN), Bangkok (BKK), Jakarta (CGK) and other international destinations. Kuala Lumpur is the key connection, though, serviced by Malaysia Airlines and Batik Air as well (both to KUL) and Firefly (to Subang Airport (SZB). Aviation enthusiasts know Johor Bahru also for the flight to Jakarta (CGK) by TransNusa.

Arriving at Johor Bahru Airport (JHB)

Johor Bahru Airport (JHB) comes with a combination of walk-in/out parking positions and jet bridges. The Firefly services did not arrive at a jet bridge, though. The airport is not that small, but sufficiently compact that you just need a few steps to the luggage belt and exit on ground level. There are a few services around, the services are efficient.

Departing from Johor Bahru Airport (JHB)

The landside part of the terminal is surprisingly nice and features quite some stores, cafes and restaurants. Check-in for Firefly opened 90 minutes before the flight, other airlines check-in two hours before departure. There is a separate area for these check-in gates. Compared to Subang Airport (SZB), the whole airport feels very modern. You see that Johor Bahru is a rather popular destination for travelers.

After security (which worked out very easily, you can either head to the international or the domestic area. There are some restaurants around and a nice waiting area. Compared to the size of the airport and the number of connections, I was very positive about the situation there. The toilets could be serviced better, though. This harms the overall very clean and lovely impression you have when flying from that Malaysian airport.

Johor Bahru Airport (JHB) – Services

Apart from VIP services, there is currently no lounge at Johor Bahru Airport (JHB). Free WiFi is available and works well. As in all over Malaysia, the people are very friendly and helpful.

Johor Bahru Airport (JHB) – My View

Senai Airport (JHB) is a neat and nice regional and international airport. I was overall quite positive about it. There are some downsides, like the traffic connection and a few services. Bad luck that the border crossing to Singapore is that bothering – it could be a nice way to explore the area including the small city state South of Johor Bahru.