Saturday, December 03, 2011

Airports firm tells off AirAsia. We did what AirAsia asked, says Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd

MALAYSIA Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) published presentation slides on its website yesterday that show that a large number of the changes done to the new low cost carrier terminal (LCCT) were requirements by airlines, predominantly AirAsia.

Among its most shocking revelations were that it was AirAsia that requested a 45-million passenger per annum (ppa) capacity terminal, a fully automated baggage handling system, a four kilometre runway and provisions for the operation of the largest passenger plane, the A380.

The fact that the low cost carrier had requested for the fully automated baggage system is significant as this is the reason cited by MAHB for the additional six-month delay in the completion of KLIA 2. KLIA 2 is expected to be operational by April 2013.

The new LCCT, or better known as Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) 2, was unveiled more than a week ago at a higher cost of between RM3.6 billion and RM3.9 billion, with an area three times originally planned for and its terminal doubling in size.

The terminal was initially budgeted to cost RM2 billion.

MAHB’s announcement unleashed a torrent of criticism from AirAsia's co-founder and chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, as AirAsia would be its main user.

Fernandes questioned the RM3.9 billion cost, its 45-million passenger per annum capacity and the need for a third runway at KLIA.

In presentation slides entitled “Building A Bigger and Better KLIA 2” which had not been released earlier, MAHB revealed that a majority of the work done was at the request of airlines and regulators.

The slides also revealed that total segregation of passenger arrival and departure was done upon regulatory request. This had led to the initial two-level, two-storey terminal to be upgraded to a three-level and nine-storey facility. One level is for departures, another for arrivals, and another, a ground security equipment area.

Its slides also show that according to AirAsia’s passenger forecasts, the carrier is expected to hit 28.7 million ppa in 2015, 45.3 million ppa by 2020 and 60.3 million ppa by 2025. MAHB said it had minutes of meetings and correspondence to back its claims.
http://www.nst.com.my

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