KLIA EXPANSION MAY BE DELAYED
This is unless decision is finalised in the first RAB framework, says MAHB CEO
THE expansion of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s (KLIA) main terminal could be deferred to 2023 unless the decision can be finalised in the first Regulated Asset Base (RAB) framework scheduled to be enforced by January next year.
Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) group chief executive officer Raja Azmi Raja Nazuddin said the airport operator had appointed a consultant to undertake a feasibility study on building satellite terminal B, providing interlining and connecting the terminals.
Interlining is the cooperation between airlines to expand connectivity while facilitating a seamless flow of passengers who have multiple points of connectivity.
“We expect to finalise this (expansion plan) decision by the third quarter of this year for the first cycle of the RAB.
“We would rather finalise things that need to be done quickly. If we don’t do anything by the second RAB period in January 2023, we will lose a lot of valuable time,” he told the New Straits Times recently.
Under MAHB’s KLIA master plan, Raja Azmi said there was enough room to build satellite terminal B. He also did not rule out the possibility that it would provide interlining between KLIA and Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2).
“Interlining has a lot of advantages for the seamless movement of passengers and baggage. Interlining is a promising proposition to leverage high-transiting passenger volume.”
Most passengers in Southeast Asia choose to transit in Bangkok or Singapore as their airports are equipped with wellconnected terminals.
“We probably lose transiting traffic as passengers choose Singapore or Bangkok for the minimum connecting time. But we also won’t rule out building satellite building B. We will present the proposal to the Malaysian Aviation Commission and the government for the final decision.”
Raja Azmi said MAHB could not undertake both expansions simultaneously as the funding would be astronomical.
“Whatever we decide, it would have a long-term implication on the national aviation landscape. We have transit at klia2 with the AirAsia network as the airline does a lot of point-to-point destinations.”
Raja Azmi said MAHB might expand the connectivity at KLIA and get AirAsia to have interline agreements with other airlines operating at the KLIA main terminal.
“If you combine the interline connectivity, the accelerated effect would have thousands of connections from more than 250 destinations at klia2 and more than 1,000 destinations at the main KLIA terminal,” he said.
MAHB is also embarking on a baggage handling system replacement at the main KLIA terminal this year.
Raja Azmi said the airport operator had not undertaken any replacement programmes since commencing operations about 20 years ago.
“The replacement of the baggage handling system and subsequently the aerotrain would cost up to RM600 million.”
He said MAHB would also rehabilitate its runways.
“We are going to do a runway 3 closure towards the end of this year, followed by runway 2 next year and runway 1 in 2021,” he said, adding that KLIA was the only airport in Asean with three runways.
Runway 3 is predominantly used by smaller narrow-body aircraft mostly from AirAsia as the airline experiences more turnaround time (landing and take-off ). Hence, it requires more maintenance.