MAHB: No plans for 3rd terminal at KLIA

SEPANG: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) has clarified that it is not planning to build a new terminal at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), but rather upgrading and expanding the current terminals.

MAHB said there had been a misunderstanding with regard to news reports of a KLIA3.

It said the statement on KLIA3 by MAHB managing director Datuk Badlisham Ghazali on Tuesday was misquoted.

“Badlisham was referring to KLIA main terminal expansion, modification and systems upgrade that are being planned and slated to be built in the next five years.

“There are no immediate plans to build a third terminal for KLIA as stated by several leading newspapers on March 14,” it said in a statement yesterday.

“However, the 20-year-old KLIA main terminal is already nearing its capacity of 30 million passengers per annum. As such, plans are underway to upgrade and expand this terminal so that it can add further capacity of between 15 million and 20 million passengers.

“Facilities that have been identified to undergo enhancements and upgrading are the baggage handling system and the Aerotrain. The existing terminal building will be expanded and modified to increase the efficiency and facilities such as boarding gates and apron parking. These upgrades and expansion will be completed in the next five years,” it said.

According to Badlisham, MAHB was “decades away” from adding another new terminal to KLIA.

He said the KLIA master plan could cater for more midfield terminals for KLIA and Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2, as well as another runway.

“At the moment, we are committed to invest in upgrades and expansion of the current terminals to increase capacity. Then only we can talk about a brand new terminal, KLIA3, but that is decades away.”

At the moment, we are committed to invest in upgrades and expansion of the current terminals to increase capacity. DATUK BADLISHAM GHAZALI

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd managing director