Give priority to issues affecting passengers at klia2, AirAsia tells MAHB

AirAsia says MAHB should fix the uneven aprons and taxiways as well as install more guest-friendly spaces and redesign boarding gates at klia2.

KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia Bhd today called on Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) to prioritise more critical operational and passenger experience issues at klia2, rather than the proposed plans to integrate the low-cost carrier hub with Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

In a statement, the low-cost carrier said MAHB also had not engaged in appropriate consultation with it or AirAsia X, the two largest airline operators accounting for 97% of the overall passenger traffic at klia2.

“Major infrastructure and capex-intensive plans to integrate KLIA and klia2 need to be put on hold.

“Instead, more critical issues need to be prioritised by MAHB,” AirAsia Malaysia CEO Riad Asmat said in a statement.

He said MAHB should spend the increased money that comes from airport tax collection on bringing up klia2 facilities to the same standard as KLIA, fixing the uneven aprons and taxiways as well as installing more guest-friendly spaces and redesigning boarding gates.

“Other more prudent uses of the additional airport tax could, for example, include dealing with overcrowding at airports around Malaysia, such as the Penang International Airport, where the check-in area is simply too small to handle the growing volume of people using it,” he added. - FMT