MAHB sees higher passenger traffic growth
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) will increase its annual capital expenditure (capex) by about 30 per cent for the next three years to fund refurbishment and upgrade works throughout its network of airports.
Its managing director Datuk Badlisham Ghazali said the amount would be announced in the company’s 2017 financial results announcement.
He said more improvements and optimisation works were expected to be done this year, especially for Kuching and Miri airports, as well as across different short take-off and landing airports (STOLports).
“The facility upgrade and refurbishment of six STOLports will cost RM52.6 million. Our investments of RM42.1 million will include Sarawak airports in Kuching, Miri, Sibu, Bintulu, Limbang and Mulu,” he added.
Meanwhile, Badlisham said the passenger service charge (PSC) hike would not significantly affect air travelling, citing historical experiences.
“The government has tried to keep it as low as possible. The sector recorded about 14 per cent improvement in international growth, despite the hike in international PSC last year,” he said, adding that the airport tax in other countries in the region were higher than in Malaysia.
Recently, the Malaysian Aviation Commission announced that all PSC were equalised and implemented at every airport, effective this month.
The PSC rate for all international destinations from any Malaysian airports is RM73.
Currently, the PSC rate applicable at non-Asean international destinations from Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 is RM50.
For domestic and Asean countries, the rates remain at RM11 and RM35, respectively, at all local airports. Ayisy Yusof
The facility upgrade and refurbishment of six STOLports will cost RM52.6 million. DATUK BADLISHAM GHAZALI Managing director of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd