KLIA Topics - Master thread needed?

[flee 5]

If and when they build the second satellite terminal, it might be better to separate the arriving and departing pax. A two level pax terminal should also be able to accommodate more pax.

[Robert 0]

1 hour ago, flee said:

If and when they build the second satellite terminal, it might be better to separate the arriving and departing pax. A two level pax terminal should also be able to accommodate more pax.

then you would also need 2 train systems - one for arriving and one for departing passengers 

[Chris Tan 0]

4 hours ago, flee said:

If and when they build the second satellite terminal, it might be better to separate the arriving and departing pax. A two level pax terminal should also be able to accommodate more pax.

KLIA’s T1 system wasn’t designed for this from the get go. As noted the Aerotrain system would have to be totally redone. 

[BC Tam 2]

54 minutes ago, Chris Tan said:

KLIA’s T1 system wasn’t designed for this from the get go. As noted the Aerotrain system would have to be totally redone. 

Well, might as well get it done now since it's in midst of being replaced anyway nowadays - maybe a delay of two or three years on top of what there currently is ?! 😁

[Chris Tan 0]

1 hour ago, BC Tam said:

Well, might as well get it done now since it's in midst of being replaced anyway nowadays - maybe a delay of two or three years on top of what there currently is ?! 😁

Whatever for, though? The current setup works fine, and the passenger flow in the international zone of the MTB is already mixed. 

[BC Tam 2]

I'm guessing the 'whatever for' factor has never, isn't now nor likely in forseeable future, be of significant consideration in MY plans involving public funds ..... 😀

[KK Lee 5]

6 hours ago, Robert said:

then you would also need 2 train systems - one for arriving and one for departing passengers 

3 hours ago, Chris Tan said:

KLIA’s T1 system wasn’t designed for this from the get go. As noted the Aerotrain system would have to be totally redone. 

If there is a will, time and money to make klia t1 more users friendly and operation efficient, there is a way.

Mahb could complete satellite terminal 2 before renovate satellite terminal 1.

Mahb could assign 2 aerotrain coach for departure and arrival pax respectfully like kix, PVG. At MTB aerotrain station, mahb could use existing restaurants on both sides of platform for ramp to arrival floor.

Edited December 18, 2023 by KK Lee

[Kee Hooi Yen 0]

I remember I read a report somewhere criminals like to use the convenience of the mixed arrivals and departures at the airside of the airport terminal to conduct illegal activities among the arriving and departing pax. I can’t recall what exactly the illegally activities were but I think it includes drug and human trafficking.

[KK Lee 5]

1 hour ago, Kee Hooi Yen said:

I remember I read a report somewhere criminals like to use the convenience of the mixed arrivals and departures at the airside of the airport terminal to conduct illegal activities among the arriving and departing pax. I can’t recall what exactly the illegally activities were but I think it includes drug and human trafficking.

Before biometric passport was widely used, human trafficking syndicate used this type of airport as transit point.

[Craig 0]

I honestly don't know what the big issue is. Changi T1-3 has the exact same system and it works for them. Be careful what you wish for - a central security means there's a chance that there can be very long queues at security and you'll miss your flight. Something like LHR/AMS Summer 2022. It is not fun spending 1-2 hours queuing up for security during peak period when it currently takes less than 5-10 minutes every time (for me at least). If MAHB is going to build a whole new terminal, sure, don't do mixed arrivals and departures but this is too late to fix.

I cannot believe we are discussing about this a quarter of century into KUL's operation.

3 hours ago, KK Lee said:

If there is a will, time and money to make klia t1 more users friendly and operation efficient, there is a way.

Of course. MAHB can also tear down whole of T1 and build something like Jewel at SIN or Orchard at DOH or even a tapir sanctuary in the middle too if you are funding the entire reconstruction. The cost to separate arrival and departure is astronomical for T1.

1 hour ago, Kee Hooi Yen said:

 I can’t recall what exactly the illegally activities were but I think it includes drug and human trafficking.

Try going to the end of G pier towards G10. You'll see a cordoned area reserved for the NTLs, some of whom could be victims of human trafficking. And today we have our first customs seizure of fentanyl. Oddly enough, it was flying BOM-KUL-DXB. There is probably enough fentanyl to make whole of Dubai city of zombies.

[KK Lee 5]

8 hours ago, Craig said:

I honestly don't know what the big issue is. Changi T1-3 has the exact same system and it works for them. Be careful what you wish for - a central security means there's a chance that there can be very long queues at security and you'll miss your flight. Something like LHR/AMS Summer 2022. It is not fun spending 1-2 hours queuing up for security during peak period when it currently takes less than 5-10 minutes every time (for me at least). If MAHB is going to build a whole new terminal, sure, don't do mixed arrivals and departures but this is too late to fix.

I cannot believe we are discussing about this a quarter of century into KUL's operation.

Of course. MAHB can also tear down whole of T1 and build something like Jewel at SIN or Orchard at DOH or even a tapir sanctuary in the middle too if you are funding the entire reconstruction. The cost to separate arrival and departure is astronomical for T1.

Try going to the end of G pier towards G10. You'll see a cordoned area reserved for the NTLs, some of whom could be victims of human trafficking. And today we have our first customs seizure of fentanyl. Oddly enough, it was flying BOM-KUL-DXB. There is probably enough fentanyl to make whole of Dubai city of zombies.

If security is located immediately after immigration; overall queuing time is minimised when waiting time for clearing immigration and security is the same. It is a matter of calculate number of security lanes to match immigration counters.

The issue is mahb don't consider ergonomic study.

[Craig 0]

Not exactly KUL only, but most of it is KUL centric. Some interesting highlights from latest MAVCOM's latest Waypoint Bulletin (for Jan-Sep 2023):

• Top domestic pax routes (in descending order, bold if 2023>2019): KUL-BKI, KUL-KCH, KUL-LGK, KUL-PEN, KUL-KBR
• Top ASEAN pax routes: KUL-SIN, KUL-CGK, PEN-SIN, KUL-DMK, KUL-DPS (KUL-BKK+DMK combined is probably the second highest pax route)
• Top non-ASEAN pax routes: KUL-DAC, KUL-TPE, KUL-JED, KUL-DXB, KUL-HKG

International seat capacity breakdown from Malaysia:

• ASEAN - 55.3%
• East Asia - 18.7%
• South Asia - 11.6%
• West Asia - 7.1%
• South Pacific - 5.2%
• Europe - 1.8% (paltry compared to 8.1% and 9.5% for SG/TH respectively)

I am curious what region does ET's service to ADD and MK to MRU falls under.

Top transit pax routes for Malaysia (the #8-10 spots are rather surprising):

1. India-KUL-Indonesia
2. India-KUL-Australia
3. Indonesia-KUL-Thailand
4. Vietnam-KUL-Indonesia
5. Thailand-KUL-Australia
6. Indonesia-KUL-China
7. Nepal-KUL-Australia
8. India-KUL-New Zealand
9. Turkiye-KUL-Australia
10. Singapore-KUL-Indonesia

Top transit pax routes for Singapore

1. India-SIN-Australia
2. Australia-SIN-UK
3. Thailand-SIN-Australia
4. Japan-SIN-Indonesia
5. Indonesia-SIN-India
6. Indonesia-SIN-South Korea
7. Indonesia-SIN-Thailand
8. Australia-SIN-Germany
9. Australia-SIN-Japan
10. Vietname-SIN-Australia

Now I know why SIN has so many flights to Australia/Germany/UK.

[flee 5]

Here we go again!

MAHB, Alstom, IJMC-Pestech JV tie up for KLIA aerotrain replacement project

The saga continues....

[Robert 0]

BA returns to KL and Bangkok

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/british-airways-kuala-lumpur-bangkok-ba-b2507041.html

[JuliusWong 0]

1 hour ago, Robert said:

BA returns to KL and Bangkok

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/british-airways-kuala-lumpur-bangkok-ba-b2507041.html

Resuming with 7x weekly flight with B787-9.

I like how The Independent reporting the news about KUL. I am very surprised BA can't make BKK works with LHR. Qatar Airways has 6x daily flight! What the........I think one slot is lease from Royal Brunei.

Quote

He said: “Kuala Lumpur has very few direct links to Europe so BA will be able to tap into unserved connections. Bangkok shifting to Gatwick shows the lower yields but popularity of the route.”

For decades Bangkok was a key destination for British Airways from London Heathrow. BA even launched a direct link from Manchester to the Thai capital, though it was soon dropped due to unprofitability.

Even before Covid, British Airways struggled to make money on the Heathrow-Bangkok link. The majority of UK visitors to Thailand now travel on the Gulf-based airlines: Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways. They offer vast amounts of capacity out of the UK via their hubs. Qatar Airways has six flights a day from Doha to Bangkok while Emirates operates five daily Airbus A380 “SuperJumbo” aircraft from Dubai to the Thai capital.

BA’s Heathrow operation is focused on premium cabins, and there is simply not sufficient demand to fill the more desirable seats profitably. Costs of operating from Gatwick are lower, allowing BA to set more competitive fares.

And the return of BA to KUL deserves some celebration.

Edited March 5 by JuliusWong

[jahur 0]

52 minutes ago, JuliusWong said:

Resuming with 7x weekly flight with B787-9.

I like how The Independent reporting the news about KUL. I am very surprised BA can't make BKK works with LHR. Qatar Airways has 6x daily flight! What the........I think one slot is lease from Royal Brunei.

The amount of gulf carriers in BKK makes it harder for legacy EU carriers to leverage yields. Not helping subpar product and expensive tickets compared to what gulf can offer going into the front end of the cabins. TG is also always the losing end in this matter.

This is also one of the reason American carriers have been calling them out to no avail. But again these dumb white folks are always calling everyone for level playing field but always use the bailout card when things turn sour but call out others who have strong gov backing(to prevent any collapse) but at the same time these EU american carriers always lobby for goodies and shortcuts.

 

[JuliusWong 0]

1 minute ago, jahur said:

The amount of gulf carriers in BKK makes it harder for legacy EU carriers to leverage yields. Not helping subpar product and expensive tickets compared to what gulf can offer going into the front end of the cabins. TG is also always the losing end in this matter.

This is also one of the reason American carriers have been calling them out to no avail. But again these dumb white folks are always calling everyone for level playing field but always use the bailout card when things turn sour but call out others who have strong gov backing(to prevent any collapse) but at the same time these EU american carriers always lobby for goodies and shortcuts.

 

Just did a rough check on Qatar Airways departure to LHR over the next two days, absolutely crazy! QR9709 is code sharing with BA. UA and AA have given up on fighting ME3, they are now on the same beds at ME3. LOL. So much for Fair Skies~!

[nrazmoor 0]

Great news..!! Lets hope for LH and QF making the announcement to return to KUL next. 

[Robert 0]

27 minutes ago, jahur said:

The amount of gulf carriers in BKK makes it harder for legacy EU carriers to leverage yields. Not helping subpar product and expensive tickets compared to what gulf can offer going into the front end of the cabins. TG is also always the losing end in this matter.

This is also one of the reason American carriers have been calling them out to no avail. But again these dumb white folks are always calling everyone for level playing field but always use the bailout card when things turn sour but call out others who have strong gov backing(to prevent any collapse) but at the same time these EU american carriers always lobby for goodies and shortcuts.

 

Not sure your racial undertones are warranted and no Im not American 

Some could turn around and use the same context for MH due to the amount of money its lost and never ending state bailouts etc,

I have no issue with EK/QR etc having many flights to LHR/KUL/BKK and others and for consumers at the moment it gives choice and competition. This is better than the old IATA fixed routes and fares.

[Craig 0]

So QF SYD-KUL and LH FRA-KUL later this year plus IB MAD-KUL and AY HEL-KUL in 2025? 😬

[jahur 0]

17 minutes ago, Robert said:

Not sure your racial undertones are warranted and no Im not American 

Some could turn around and use the same context for MH due to the amount of money its lost and never ending state bailouts etc,

I have no issue with EK/QR etc having many flights to LHR/KUL/BKK and others and for consumers at the moment it gives choice and competition. This is better than the old IATA fixed routes and fares.

Yes and it is completely normal. But you see most of the public have a general perception that the aviation industry globally has been a playing field fair and square which it has never been the case. 

Smaller or medium sized airlines needing financial backing to weather the storm gets called out by the same crowd whose carriers have been utilizing Lobbying and slot advantage to their strength and getting bailouts when the storm has already hit inland.

Competition is good but not to a point service consistency and dispatch reliability tanks and employees get paid low, aircrafts operate with no backup, with the gov screaming hands off. While valuable talents who were bullied ended up heading off to rich countries with questionable funding.

[Robert 0]

16 minutes ago, jahur said:

Yes and it is completely normal. But you see most of the public have a general perception that the aviation industry globally has been a playing field fair and square which it has never been the case. 

Smaller or medium sized airlines needing financial backing to weather the storm gets called out by the same crowd whose carriers have been utilizing Lobbying and slot advantage to their strength and getting bailouts when the storm has already hit inland.

Competition is good but not to a point service consistency and dispatch reliability tanks and employees get paid low, aircrafts operate with no backup, with the gov screaming hands off. While valuable talents who were bullied ended up heading off to rich countries with questionable funding.

Not sure if you are referring to MH in your last paragraph? Irregardless if airlines are being badly run then the regulator should have some teeth to manage it. As for bailouts etc I don't agree and it's wrong to prop up such firms, especially if they are badly run. The US public seems to have forgotten the amount of bailouts etc that their carriers have received.

Labour movements due to higher pay etc is normal and many are willing to do it and enjoy the adventure. Not sure I get your point about questionable funding though.
Yes salaries are here are low and the weak ringgit compounds the situation and that needs to change. Don't want to get into politics or economics here as things usually get messy.

[JuliusWong 0]

Seems like the government is dead serious in revamping KLIA and other airports. Do or die mission it is.

Quote

Khazanah, EPF and GIP forming consortium to run MAHB

By Jose Barrock / The Edge Malaysia 04 Mar 2024, 03:30 pm

https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/702332

KHAZANAH Nasional Bhd, the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and New York-headquartered private equity (PE) firm Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) are understood to be forming a consortium to own and run airport operator Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd, say sources familiar with the arrangement.

The Edge is given to understand that if all goes to plan, an agreement could be inked in as early as two to three weeks and may involve some form of equity participation on the part of GIP, although details are lacking at the moment.

Khazanah is currently the largest shareholder of MAHB with a 32.67% stake, while EPF has 7.06% equity interest in the airport operator.

How the consortium will run MAHB is not clear. MAHB manages a total of 39 airports across Malaysia and wholly owns and manages Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport in Turkey. It also has an 11% stake in Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, Telangana, India.

A tight-lipped source would only venture, “There will be a corporate exercise [involving the three consortium partners and MAHB].”

Quote

MAHB seeks to bring in new airlines for expansion
The airport operator aims to welcome them to Malaysia from as early as Q4 2024 or Q1 2025.

Samuel Chua - 28 Feb 2024, 6:25pm

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2024/02/28/mahb-seeks-to-bring-in-new-airlines-for-expansion/

LANGKAWI: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) is setting its sights on attracting new airlines from North Asia, the Southwest Pacific and Europe as part of its strategy to enhance Malaysia’s status as a key hub of connectivity.

Senior general manager for strategy Megat Ardian Wira Aminuddin said MAHB aims to welcome these airlines to start operations or expand into Malaysia from as early as the fourth quarter of this year or early next year.

“We are targeting an increase from 69 airlines in 2019 to between 75 and 80 by the end of this year,” he said at Routes Asia 2024, hosted by MAHB and Tourism Malaysia.

Airlines from Europe are also targeted, though these services may not be as frequent as those from other regions, he said.

Megat said that in preparation for Visit Malaysia 2026, MAHB is in the process of upgrading its infrastructure and passenger experiences across its airports.

The initiatives include replacing the aerotrain in KLIA, upgrading the baggage handling system, expanding retail outlets and enhancing digital check-in facilities.

“These improvements are designed to create a seamless and efficient passenger experience from start to finish,” he said.

Megat also said MAHB would be committed to enhancing its other international airports, including those in Langkawi, Penang, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.

“Digitalisation efforts and the expansion of retail and F&B options are under way, with several international airlines already showing interest in these locations.”

Meanwhile, MAHB acting group CEO Rastam Shahrom said Malaysia welcomed five new international airlines in January and February this year.

He said the latest additions are Air Macau, providing four weekly services from Macau; Loong Air, offering three weekly flights from Hangzhou; Turkmenistan Airlines, providing two weekly services from Ashgabat; and Iraqi Airways, resuming its weekly service to Baghdad.

After a decade of stagnant, finally we can see KLIA on the move again. Looking forward to seeing the new revamped KUL, LGK, PEN, KCH and BKI.

Edited March 5 by JuliusWong

[Robert 0]

1 hour ago, JuliusWong said:

Seems like the government is dead serious in revamping KLIA and other airports. Do or die mission it is.

After a decade of stagnant, finally we can see KLIA on the move again. Looking forward to seeing the new revamped KUL, LGK, PEN, KCH and BKI.

They should take a day trip to Changi and take the best and implement at KLIA. 
You don't need crap like this at Changi to drop your bags etc : https://www.thestar.com.my/starpicks/2023/12/15/the-new-face-of-airport-security. 
Immigration at Changi is now gates for departing passengers and many can use gates for arrival. KLIA Immigration has 10 countries and you still need to queue for the first time.
Transiting between airlines is easy at Changi but the impression I have at KLIA is poor because many often counters airside are not manned and signage is poor.  

[JuliusWong 0]

2 hours ago, Robert said:

They should take a day trip to Changi and take the best and implement at KLIA. 
You don't need crap like this at Changi to drop your bags etc : https://www.thestar.com.my/starpicks/2023/12/15/the-new-face-of-airport-security. 
Immigration at Changi is now gates for departing passengers and many can use gates for arrival. KLIA Immigration has 10 countries and you still need to queue for the first time.
Transiting between airlines is easy at Changi but the impression I have at KLIA is poor because many often counters airside are not manned and signage is poor.  

I think those EzPaz and EzBagz....facial recognition and self bag drop are part of IATA worldwide program to reduce the airline operation cost, airport around the region are rolling out the same. It would only be prudent KLIA and those international airport getaway do the same. I saw the same in DMK and HAN recently. Tried those HKG one recently, the system took less than a sec to recognise my boarding pass and my face.

As for immigration, the Changi departure might not be the best, tried it thrice thus far, not sure if it was my bad luck I had two breakdowns. At one time I was stuck within the gate. Then they quickly deployed the staff to do manual stamp out. The lines were pretty long due to evening departures. But kudos to the officers, they knew which flight is near to departure, they shouted (in good tone) to ask those pax to move to the front. For Malaysia arrival, the first time arrival is for capturing face and thumbprint if I am not mistaken. Thereafter you don't need to anymore. Correct me if I am wrong.

Yes, for transitting in KLIA could be better. I think they are in the next phase of upgrade. They don't much time left. Year 2026 is Visit Malaysia year. We have wasted too much time in the last decade and from 2020 to 2022...Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and The Philippines are going for head to head competition. Malaysia and Thailand seems to have upper hand now, but let's hope they do not rest on laurel. 

Edited March 5 by JuliusWong