KLIA2 may see further delays due to defects

The new low-cost carrier terminal KLIA2 may see more delays due to construction defects despite the Malaysian Airport Holdings Berhad (MAHB) announcement yesterday that it will be completed by next month.

The Edge Malaysiaweekly quoted sources as saying that cracks have emerged on the surface near the airport's apron (aircraft parking) while the airport's taxiways were also uneven on top of problems with the district cooling system.

"Water collects easily on the runway, indicating an uneven surface and a poor drainage system," the report said.

The weekly also obtained photographs showing the said defects.

However, the report quoted a project consultant as saying that the problems could be easily remedied.

"It's not a serious matter. The contractors can fix the cracks in a month. It's just like the roads you and I use everyday.

"If there are potholes, patch them. When there's an uneven surface, you resurface it," he was quoted as saying.

Rush job

Despite the assurance, the report quoted another source as saying that the rush to meet the completion deadline may have contributed to the defects and this may cause further delays.

"There is concern that in the rush to meet deadlines, work on the runway and taxiway could have started before the soil had properly settled.

"They say if the soil continues to shift, major remedial works may be necessary, thus raising the possibility of further delays," the report said.

MAHB is targeting for KLIA2, which can manage up to 45 million passengers a year, to be fully operational by May 2 next year.

The project which began work in 2010 had been plagued with delays.

It was first due to be completed at the end of 2011 but was later pushed to October 2012 and then to June 2013 and now January of next year.

The project has also seen spiralling cost, with the price tag almost doubling from an initial RM2 billion to RM3.9 billion.