MAHB aims to position KLIA as regional hub
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) has put in place strategies to further position Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) as the preferred hub in the region and improve operations at other international airports in the country.
In a statement yesterday, the airport operator said the initiatives were aimed at encouraging more airlines to operate from international airports under its management.
“Apart from enhancing connectivity, operating from a single terminal had allowed for optimisation of resources and more seamless and improved passenger experience without the hassle of changing terminals,” it said in the statement.
Meanwhile, MAHB said it was also collaborating with the Sabah government to promote the state as a major destination by encouraging more airlines to operate from the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA).
“A dedicated fund of about RM17 million has been allocated to assist various destination marketing activities undertaken by the state and airlines to promote new routes such as Wuhan, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Shenzen, Taipei and Singapore,” said MAHB.
The airport operator said the move to consolidate all airport and flight operations under one roof at Terminal 1 (T1) in KKIA had brought benefit to the national tourism industry.
“In 2017, a full year after AirAsia Group moved to T1, the state had attained a healthy growth in tourist arrivals, welcoming 9.4 per cent more international tourists compared with 2016, resulting in 1.2 million international passengers travelling to Sabah last year.”
MAHB said total tourist arrivals last year had risen 7.5 per cent to 3.7 million from 3.4 million the year before.
“Sabah had also been successful in attracting more airlines to operate direct flights to and from KKIA.
“Apart from its robust tourism activities, the superior and conducive facilities at T1 KKIA had provided greater passenger comfort and convenience.”
MAHB said T1 had the advantage of greater connectivity and offered more opportunities for growth for airlines.
A total of 25 airlines are now operating from KKIA.