26 June 2023
Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke said that the country’s main airport Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 must improve its image as well as performance in order to become a regional aviation hub again.
He said that it is not impossible for KLIA Terminal 1 to compete with Singapore’s Changi Airport.
“We see the position deteriorating, which is a concern because of the loss of attractiveness at KLIA Terminal 1,” he said on Monday (Jun 26), according to The Star.
Mr Loke said that it is not impossible for KLIA Terminal 1 to compete with Singapore’s Changi Airport with the aim to restore the terminal’s position as one of the best airports in the world.
“I don’t think it’s impossible to compete with Changi (Airport). Changi has its advantages but we shouldn’t give in to the fact that we can’t compete with foreign countries.”
“There are many airports that act as a benchmark in the Asian region such as Bangkok and Hong Kong. The vision of KLIA is to become an air transport hub, not a ‘feeder’ to Changi or other airports,” he was quoted as saying by New Straits Times (NST).
In Skytrax’s 2023 list of 100 Best Airports in the World, KLIA Terminal 1 was ranked 67th compared with 62nd in the previous year, according to local media.
In 2001, the terminal ranked as the second-best airport in the world, before slipping to 14th place in 2013 and 44th in 2018.
Meanwhile, to achieve the ministry’s aspiration for the terminal’s performances, Mr Loke said the “drastic changes” currently being made by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) will be seen in the next three years.
“KLIA Terminal 1 must also upgrade or improve its image and performance. So, there are several projects undergoing, including the upgrade of the aerotrain, improvement of the baggage handling system, hotel and retail facilities,” he said, according to NST.
Earlier in March, MAHB suspended its aerotrain services at KLIA Terminal 1 after a breakdown that involved 114 passengers forced them to walk 400m on the train tracks.
In response during a parliament session, Mr Loke then reportedly said that the aerotrains “had reached the end of their lifespan of 25 years” and the process to upgrade the aerotrain will take two years.
According to NST, MAHB is expected to obtain new trains by 2025 and the aerotrain service will be replaced by shuttle bus services in the meantime. It was also reported that several breakdowns have occurred in the past including in December 2015 and September 2017.
Earlier in June this year, the transport ministry said that MAHB had appointed a consultant in 2019 to develop a master plan study for a period of 30 years until 2050 for KLIA Terminal 1, according to Bernama.
It added that the plan to upgrade the terminal is expected to start in 2026 when its capacity reaches 90 per cent.
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Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
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