Kuala Lumpur airport operator Malaysia Airports Holdings (MAHB) is working to get some airlines to move or commence operations at KLIA2, as its main terminal becomes increasingly crowded, especially during peak hours.
Last year, KLIA handled 22.3 million passengers. While this is still a distance from its design capacity of 30 million, gate capacity is becoming constrained during peak hours, its general manager of marketing Mohamed Sallauddin tells FlightGlobal.
The terminal is however still well able to handle aircraft during peak hours if airlines are open to parking remotely.
“We want to get some airlines to go to KLIA2. The aerobridges are there, the facilities and charges are similar, but some airlines still prefer the main terminal because of the profile of carrier,” says Sallauddin.
“Some are also reluctant to move if they have interlines or codeshares at the main terminal.”
The city’s newer KLIA2 terminal handled 26.3 million passengers last year, and has a capacity for 45 million passengers. The facility is however primarily used by low-cost carriers at present, with anchor airline AirAsia also having campaigned to promote it as a low-cost terminal.
Malaysia Airlines and IATA have both been critical about the difference in airport charges at the two terminals, considering the facilities are broadly similar. A new passenger service charge regime is expected to enter force next year.
Sallauddin adds that the airport has also done well to grow passenger traffic by 4.4% to date this year, despite flag carrier Malaysia Airlines ceasing services to Amsterdam and Paris as part of its restructuring.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
