KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s main airport, the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), is getting a major revamp to tackle operational snags and upgrade its facilities, with hopes of climbing back to the top 10 of Skytrax’s world airport rankings by 2028.
Long queues at passport control and the frequent breakdowns of its ageing aerotrains, which ferry people between the main terminal and the satellite building, are among the recent setbacks reported at the 25-year-old airport.
Its Skytrax ranking has been dropping since 2013, and slipped another five spots to No. 67 this year.
The airport makeover will include self-baggage drop-offs, a redesign of the check-in counters, new aerotrain and baggage handling systems, and new lounges and food and beverage (F&B) outlets, said Datuk Iskandar Mizal Mahmood, managing director of airport operator Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB).
“We want to bring back the shine of KLIA,” he told The Straits Times.
The airport, which opened in 1998, had been ranked among the top 10 airports in the world on four occasions – in 2001, 2010, 2011 and 2012. But since then, it has seen a steady decline in rankings, falling to 14th place in 2013 and 44th in 2018.
Britain-based air transport rating organisation Skytrax assesses airports based on factors such as shopping experience, check-ins, arrivals, transfers, security and immigration clearance.
Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke has expressed his disappointment with KLIA’s No. 67 placing in the latest World Airport Survey.
“KLIA’s maintenance and conditions have deteriorated in recent years,” Mr Loke said, noting that poor maintenance was partly due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns.
The major upgrade had been planned for since 2017 but was delayed by MAHB’s indecision, said industry sources.
But the need to upgrade is more pressing now, with worldwide travel resuming and climbing passenger numbers putting a strain on airport facilities.
The number of passengers travelling through KLIA reached about 25 million in 2022, representing more than 70 per cent of the 35 million travellers who used the airport in 2019.
Mr Iskandar expects the number of passengers travelling through KLIA to exceed 25 million in 2023.
Appointed as managing director in October 2021, Mr Iskandar hopes that the ongoing upgrading and refurbishment will boost KLIA’s ranking.
“We will have new F&B outlets, with stores like the Hard Rock Cafe. Our lounges are rather dilapidated, so there will be two new airport lounges opening by end-2023. For shopping experience, there will also be new local and international brands opening by the end of this year,” he said.
Critical infrastructure, such as the aerotrain system, will be replaced by 2025, he said, adding that the current aerotrains frequently break down due to their age.
“The assets have been in operation for the past 25 years, ferrying more than three million passengers and travelling about 2.8 million km in total. The construction of the new aerotrain system will start by mid-2023 and each track will take a year to be completed. KLIA is expected to have brand new trains by 2025,” he said.
He estimates that MAHB will spend more than RM700 million (S$210 million) for the aerotrain replacement and another RM1.1 billion for the new baggage handling system.
Mr Iskandar also disclosed plans to improve transfers between KLIA and budget terminal KLIA2 for passengers needing to switch between international and domestic flights.
“We are ready for passengers to be transferred via airside shuttle buses from one terminal to another, but we are waiting for the airlines to sign agreements to improve the transit experience,” said Mr Iskandar.
Malaysia’s tourism sector has been complaining about KLIA, saying that it lags far behind neighbouring Singapore’s Changi Airport, which this year topped the Skytrax ranking.
Changi Airport held the top spot for eight consecutive years from 2013 to 2020 – the longest winning streak since the World Airport Awards were first given out in 2000. But it fell behind Hamad International Airport and Haneda Airport in 2021 and 2022.
Mr Faeez Fadhlillah, honorary secretary-general of the Malaysian Association of Tours and Travel Agents, said most modern airports offer resting areas or sleeping pods for travellers in transit, but not KLIA.
He added that the airport’s baggage handling system is one of the worst in the region.
Travellers have to wait up to 30 minutes for their luggage, while in Singapore, the wait at the baggage carousel can be just a few minutes after travellers clear immigration.
“KLIA needs a total revamp – from the gate, the waiting at the immigration counter, which can be up to four hours, the aerotrain experience, and the baggage waiting time,” said Mr Faeez.
