MAHB: We are monitoring bee situation in KLIA2

PETALING JAYA: The swarm of bees that seems to have taken up residence at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) is being closely monitored and the area may be fumigated if the bees do not disperse, said Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB).

MAHB said it was aware of the congregation of bees at the Bay Q4 area but added that it was not a beehive.

It said the swarm of bees appeared between 10am and 11am yesterday.

“It is quite common for migrating swarms of bees to congregate at airports, especially at the airside.

“They would normally disperse when there is rain or heavy wind.

“We monitor such situations and if they do not disperse by nightfall, we will get pest control to fumigate the area,” MAHB said in a statement.

The company explained that this was necessary so as to avoid the formation of a beehive.

Fumigation activities, it said, were usually done at night for safety reasons.

MAHB said it was hazardous to disturb a swarm of bees during the day.

It said it would fumigate the area by eight tonight if the bees remained.

“We have not had any situation where migrating swarms caused harm to anyone in the past,” MAHB said.

AirAsia Group Bhd chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes on Monday night took to Twitter after spotting a beehive-like structure on the window of a platform at KLIA2.

“Now we have bees in klia2. “We got maggots, rats and now bees.

“Maybe a zoo or klia2 honey?

“Could be new income which could reduce airport tax.

“Jokes aside, this is dangerous for my passengers and my staff.

“Will the non-communicative new CEO solve this?” he tweeted.

This criticism by Fernandes came following a complaint on a social media posting by an AirAsia employee about the poor hygiene standards with the picture of a rubbish bin filled with maggots.

Previously, there were also complaints about rat infestation at the airport after a video of a rat in a passenger lounge went viral on social media.

AirAsia and MAHB have been locked in a legal battle over the passenger service charge (PSC) at KLIA2 after the airline refused to collect the full amount of the RM73 that the airport operator imposed earlier this year.

Instead, AirAsia has been collecting the RM50 per pax that was the rate prior to the increase, as a way of objecting to the standardisation of the tax at both the KLIA and KLIA2.

AirAsia insisted it was unfair to charge the same fee when one airport, KLIA, was vastly better equipped than the other.