Kuala Lumpur International Airport

For other uses, see Kuala Lumpur International Airport (disambiguation).

Kuala Lumpur International Airport Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur
The KLIA control tower and part of the airport
IATA: KUL – ICAO: WMKK
Summary
Airport type		Public
Owner		Government of Malaysia
Operator		Malaysia Airports (Sepang) Sdn Bhd
Serves		Klang Valley
Location		Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia
Hub for		Malaysia Airlines MASkargo AirAsia AirAsia X Malindo Air
Elevation AMSL		71 ft / 21 m
Coordinates		02°44′44″N 101°42′35″E
Website		www.klia.com.my
Map
KUL/WMKK Location in West Malaysia
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
14L/32R	13,530	4,124	Concrete
14R/32L	13,288	4,056	Concrete
Statistics (2012)
Passenger movements			39,887,866
Airfreight movements in tonnes			673,107
Aircraft movements			283,352

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) (IATA: KUL, ICAO: WMKK) is Malaysia's main international airport and is also one of the major airports of South East Asia, giving it huge, even multinational, catchment area. It is about 60 kilometres (37 mi) from Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur. The airport is in the Sepang district of southern Selangor state. KLIA's construction cost RM8.5 billion or US$3.5 billion.

The airport can currently handle 40 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo a year. In 2010, it handled 34,087,636 passengers; in 2011 it handled 669,849 metric tonnes of cargo. It was ranked the 14th busiest airport in the world by international passenger traffic, and is the 5th busiest international airport in Asia. It was ranked the 29th busiest airport by cargo traffic in 2010. The Bernama News Agency reported a modest growth in traffic in the first six months of 2011, with an almost 13% increase from 16.2 million to 18.3 million passengers.

The airport is operated by Malaysia Airports (MAHB) Sepang Sdn Bhd and is the major hub of Malaysia Airlines, MASkargo, AirAsia, AirAsia X, Malindo Air and Department of Civil Aviation (DCA).

History

Background

The Main Terminal Building of KLIA from side

KLIA Main terminal architecture

The ground breaking ceremony for Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) took place on 1 June 1993^{[citation needed]} when the government decided that the existing Kuala Lumpur International Airport, officially then known as Subang International Airport (now Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport) could not handle future demand. The 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia's Yang Amat Berbahagia Dato Seri Tun Doctor Mahathir Bin Mohamad instigated the project as part of the development of the Multimedia Super Corridor a grand development plan for the nation.

Upon KLIA's completion, Subang International Airport's Terminal 1 building was demolished. Malaysia Airports agreed to redevelop the remaining Terminal 3 to create Subang International Airport a specialist airport for turboprop and charter planes surrounded by a residential area and a business park.

The IATA airport code KUL was inherited from Subang International Airport, which currently handles only turboprop aircraft, general aviation and military aircraft. Subsequently, Subang International Airport's IATA code was changed to SZB.

Current Site

The airport's site spans 100 square kilometres (25,000 acres)², of former agricultural land and is one of the world's largest airport sites. An ambitious three-phase development plan anticipates KLIA to have five runways and two terminals each with two satellite terminals. Phase One involved the construction of the main terminal and one satellite terminal, giving a capacity of 25 million passengers, and two full service runways. The Phase One airport had sixty contact piers, twenty remote parking bays with eighty aircraft parking positions, four maintenance hangars and fire stations. Phase Two, designed to increase capacity to 35 million passengers per year is largely complete. Phase Three is anticipated to increase capacity to 100 million passengers per year.

Grand Opening

Kuala Lumpur International Airport was officially inaugurated by the 10th Yang di-Pertuan Agong's Duli Yang Maha Mulia Almarhum Tuanku Ja'afar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman on 27 June 1998 at 20:30 MST as moment of reckoning as the new airport it sparkling like a fairyland and visible from as far as 15-kilometre away of beckoned the 1500-spectators who came to witness in 25,000-workers a 24-hours in daily built the airport within 7-years at opening a week ahead of Hong Kong International Airport it was officially closing ceremonies by the 10th Yang di-Pertuan Agong's Duli Yang Maha Mulia Almarhum Tuanku Ja'afar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman based in Subang 3-days later on 30 June 1998 in time for the 1998 Commonwealth Games. The first domestic arrival was Malaysia Airlines flight MH1263 from Kuantan (Kuantan Airport) at 07:10 MST. The first international arrival was Malaysia Airlines flight MH188 from Malé International Airport at 07:30 MST. The first domestic departure was Malaysia Airlines flight MH1432 to Langkawi (Langkawi International Airport) at 07:20 MST; the first international departure was Malaysia Airlines flight MH84 to Beijing (Beijing Capital International Airport) at 09:00 MST.

Inauguration

Check-in counters

The Jungle boardwalk fountain

The inauguration of the airport was marked with problems. Aerobridge and bay allocation systems broke down, queues built up throughout the airport and baggage handling broke down. Bags were lost and there were waits of over five hours. Most of these issues were remedied eventually, though baggage handling system was plagued with problems until it was put up for a complete replacement tender in 2007.

The airport suffered greatly reduced traffic with the general reduction in economic activity brought about by the East Asian financial crisis, SARS, bird flu epidemic (Avian flu), the global financial crisis and the swine flu pandemic. 1998 saw a reduction of passenger numbers as some airlines, including All Nippon Airways, British Airways, Lufthansa (later reinstated) and Northwest Airlines, terminated their loss making services to KLIA. KLIA's first full year of operations in 1999, in its Phase One manifestation (capacity of 25 million passengers per year), saw only 13.2 million passengers. Passenger numbers eventually increased to 21.1 million in 2004 and 23.2 million in 2005 — though short of the originally estimated 25 million passengers per year by 2003.

Operations and infrastructure

Main article: Operations and Infrastructure of Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Infrastructure
Passenger terminal buildings
Totals	(current)	(After LCCT Relocation)
Floor area	514,694 m2	692,627 m²
Handling capacity	40 million passengers	70 million passengers
Parking bays	46 (aerobridge) 68 (contact) 21 (remote)	LCCT Relocation Plan yet to be unveiled
Main Terminal Building 1 & Contact Pier
Opened	27 June 1998 (operational)
Floor area	336,000 m2
Handling capacity	5 million passengers per annum
Parking bays	20 (aerobridge) 23 (remote)
Satellite Terminal A
Opened	27 June 1998 (operational)
Floor area	143,404 m2
Handling capacity	20 million passengers per annum
Parking bays	26 (aerobridge) 15 (remote)
Low Cost Carrier Terminal
Opened	23 March 2006 (operational)
Floor area	35,290 m2
Handling capacity	15 million
Parking bays	30
KLIA2
Opening on	28 June 2013
Floor area	242,000 m2
Handling capacity	45 million
Parking bays	68
Bunga Raya Complex
Opened	27 June 1998 (official)
Floor area
Handling capacity
Parking bays	1

KLIA features a number of modern design features that assist in efficient operation of the airport. It is one of the first Asia Pacific airports to become 100% Bar Coded Boarding Pass capable. AirAsia, a Malaysian passenger airline; MASkargo, a cargo airline; and Malaysia Airports, the Malaysian Airports operator and manager; are headquartered on the property of KLIA. Malaysia Airlines operates its Flight Management Building at KLIA.

Terminals

The Passenger Terminal Complex (PTC) was built with an emphasis on allowing natural light into the building. Thus, there is a huge expanse of glass throughout the building, and the spectacular roof has cut-outs for natural light to filter in. The PTC comprises three buildings – the Main Terminal Building, the Satellite Building and the Contact Pier. Besides the 80-room hotel at the Satellite Building, there is a 450-room 5-star Pan Pacific KLIA hotel a 10-minute (indoor) walk away. Shopping spots are available in an area encompassing 85,000 square metres. Currently, the retail space at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport stands at 63,644 square metres (685,060 sq ft). The airport operator plans to increase the retail space to 103,251 square metres (1,111,380 sq ft), an 62.2% increase in retail space.^{[citation needed]}

As there are international flights operating out from the airport, therefore terminals of the airport are equipped with immigration processing facilities and security scanning for all passengers including domestic passengers. The Satellite terminal handles most of the international flights, while the main terminal building's contact pier handles domestic traffic, regional international flights and international flights routed to other hubs within Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines operate from both terminals, where main terminal building's contact pier is their preferred terminal for domestic flights. Conversely, low cost carries such as AirAsia Group of Airlines, Tiger Airways and Cebu Pacific operates domestic and international flights out of the low cost carrier terminal.

The initial passenger growth was below average due to Asian Financial Crisis and the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2003 and the airport failed to reach its target capacity of 25 million passengers per annum (before the inclusion of low cost carrier terminal) by 2004. However, the recovery of Malaysia's economy boosted Kuala Lumpur International Airport's passenger movements, and the airport saw significant growth in traffic, hitting the 25 million passenger mark in 2007. In January 2008, the airport saw a growth of 8.3% in aircraft movements and 7.7% in passenger traffic to 2.17 million in January 2008 from 2.02 million in the same period last year.

Main terminal building and contact pier

Malaysian Airlines at Contact Pier

The Main terminal building or Terminal 1 is located in between the two runways. The floor area of the terminal covers 336,000 square metres and the building consists of 39 square roof units, which enables future expansion of the building. There are a total of 216 check-in counters, located in 6 different islands, identified by the letters A – M (excluding I). Multi check-in services are available, designed for the use of all passengers arriving, departing or in transit. On 2 February 2007, Malaysia Airports introduces 12 integrated self check-in kiosks (CUSS) for passengers. The first airline to use that system is KLM. A further 24 kiosks will be added later by the airport operator

The contact pier is the rectangular-shaped terminal that is connected to the Main Terminal Building. It serves as the domestic terminal for Malaysia Airlines. Some international flights are handled there as well. Previously it used to cater to low-cost carriers' passengers. At the north side of the pier, it can only accommodate narrow-bodied aircraft. In contrast, the south side of the contact pier can accommodate Boeing 737 and Boeing 747 or similar sized aircraft.

The Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad derives 65% of its total annual revenue from non-aeronautical sources, with 35% from commercial space rental and a percentage of sale receipts^{[citation needed]}. There were plans to increase and maximize the Main Terminal Building's and Contact Pier's retail area however, the plan was postponed due to Visit Malaysia Year 2007.

The gates in Main Terminal Building's contact pier has alphabet prefix of A and B for domestic flights, and G and H for international flights.

Satellite terminal A

Interior of the Satellite Terminal

The 143,404 square metres (1,543,590 sq ft) satellite building accommodates international flights departing and arriving at KLIA. Passengers have to travel to the satellite building via the Aerotrain. There is a wide array of duty-free shops and prestige brand boutiques in the satellite building. This includes international brands such as Burberry, Harrods, Montblanc, Salvatore Ferragamo and recently, Mango has opened its first boutique at an airport in the Asian region.^{[citation needed]} Among all international labels available within the terminal, some boutiques such as Harrods are only available in the airport. A number of restaurants and international airlines' lounges are available as well as an Airside Transit Hotel.

Within the terminal, wireless internet (Wifi) is provided free of charge. The terminal also has prayer rooms, showers and massage service. Various lounge areas are provided, some including children's play areas and movie lounge, broadcasting movie and sport channels. The terminal also features a natural rainforest in the middle of the terminal, exhibiting the Malaysian forests.

Palm trees in the satellite building

Satellite building near the Aerotrain

Under Malaysia Airports Berhad retail optimisation plan, the retail space in satellite terminal A will be further optimized to increase its revenue derived from commercial space rental and a percentage of sale receipts to 50% by year 2010 which currently stands at 35%. Some notable improvements that will be seen after the refurbishments will be the Jungle Boardwalk which will be the first of its kind in the world and larger mezzanine floor to accommodate F&B outlets and viewing galleries.

The gates in Satellite Terminal A have the prefix C.The Satellite A terminal has 27 boarding gates altogether.

Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT)

KLIA Low Cost Carrier Terminal

international departure waiting lounge in LCCT before the 2008 expansion

The Low cost carrier terminal (LCCT) was opened at Kuala Lumpur International Airport to cater for the growing number of users of low cost airlines, especially the passengers of Malaysia's "no-frills" airline, AirAsia.

Prior to its operation as a terminal for low cost airlines, the LCCT was used for cargo purposes.

The 35,290 square metres (379,900 sq ft) terminal is designed and built to suit the low cost carrier business model that requires only basic terminal amenities. As requested by the low cost airline, the terminal does not provide aerobridges. Nor are there transfer facilities like those found at the main terminal. As there is no rail link with the main terminal, passengers who need to make transfers need to clear immigration, collect their luggage, clear customs, make their way to the main terminal and re-checkin with their respective airline.

LCCT is located on the opposite side of the apron from the Main Terminal Building, near the air cargo area. By road, LCCT is about 20 km from the Main Terminal Building.

The current Low Cost Carrier Terminal is a temporary solution for the increasing demand of no-frills airline passengers. Therefore, Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad has plans to build a new permanent LCC terminal which can accommodate 45 million passengers per year. In the meantime, the airport operator decided to expand the current terminal to keep up with the increasing demand. The new arrival hall was first open on 15 December 2008. This airport was the first airport to have separation between normal carriers and low cost carrier.

The terminal is due to be replaced by a new low cost carrier terminal, klia2, whose opening has been postponed several times due to various reasons. The operator has not given a new date when the terminal is expected to be operational.

The gates in LCCT have alphabet prefix of P for domestic departures and T for international departures.

KL City Air Terminal

KL City Air Terminal, sometimes known as Kuala Lumpur City Air Terminal or KL CAT located at KL Sentral is a virtual extension of KL International Airport where city check-in services are provided. KL City Air Terminal is recognized by International Air Transport Association which carries IATA designation XKL. Currently there are only 4 airlines providing city check-in services, they are Cathay Pacific, Emirates Airline, Malaysia Airlines and Royal Brunei Airlines. However, the situation is due to be changed as 10 SITA's AirportConnect CUTE (Common Use Terminal Equipment) were installed on 10 check-in desks in KL CAT that enables all airlines to offer city check-in service for their passengers. Apart from providing check-in services, the virtual terminal operator, Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd which operates KLIA Express is planning to roll out baggage check-out service in January 2008 whereby passengers only collect their baggage and declare taxable items in Kuala Lumpur City Air Terminal.

Airlines and destinations

AirAsia Airbus A320 taxing at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Air India Express Boeing 737-800 taxing at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-800 landing at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

AirAsia Airbus A320 logojet landing at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

China Airlines Boeing 737-800 taxing at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Indonesia AirAsia Boeing 737-600 taxing at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737-300 taxing at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in 2010.

AirAsia X Airbus A340-300 takeoff from Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

EVA Air Boeing 747-400 taxing at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Passenger

Airlines	Destinations	Terminal
Air Astana	Almaty	Satellite
Air France	Paris-Charles de Gaulle	Satellite
Air India Express	Chennai	Satellite
Air Koryo	Seasonal: Pyongyang	Satellite
Air Mauritius	Mauritius	Satellite
AirAsia	Alor Setar, Balikpapan, Banda Aceh, Bandar Seri Begawan, Bandung, Bangkok-Don Mueang, Bangalore, Bintulu, Chiang Mai, Chennai, Clark, Cochin, Da Nang (ends 10 June 2013), Denpasar/Bali, Guangzhou, Guilin, Hanoi, Hat Yai, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta, Johor Bahru, Kolkata, Kota Bharu, Kota Kinabalu, Krabi, Kuala Terengganu, Kuching, Kunming, Labuan, Langkawi, Mataram-Lombok, Macau, Makassar, Medan, Miri, Nanning, Padang-Minangkabau, Palembang, Pekanbaru, Penang, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Sandakan, Semarang, Shenzhen, Sibu, Siem Reap, Singapore, Solo, Surabaya, Surat Thani, Tawau, Tiruchirapalli, Vientiane, Yangon, Yogyakarta	LCCT
AirAsia Philippines	Clark	LCCT
AirAsia X	Beijing-Capital, Busan (begins 15 July 2013), Chengdu, Gold Coast, Hangzhou, Jeddah, Kathmandu, Melbourne, Osaka-Kansai, Perth, Seoul-Incheon, Shanghai-Pudong, Sydney, Taipei-Taoyuan, Tokyo-Haneda	LCCT
Bangkok Airways	Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Koh Samui	Satellite
Biman Bangladesh Airlines	Dhaka	Satellite
Cathay Pacific	Hong Kong	Satellite
Cebu Pacific	Cebu, Manila	LCCT
China Airlines	Taipei-Taoyuan	Satellite
China Eastern Airlines	Shanghai-Pudong	Satellite
China Southern Airlines	Guangzhou	Satellite
Eaglexpress	Charter: Jeddah	Main
EgyptAir	Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Cairo	Satellite
Emirates	Dubai, Melbourne	Satellite
Ethiopian Airlines	Addis Ababa, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi	Satelitte
Etihad Airways	Abu Dhabi	Satellite
EVA Air	Taipei-Taoyuan	Satellite
Garuda Indonesia	Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta	Satellite
Indonesia AirAsia	Bandung, Denpasar/Bali, Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta, Makassar, Medan, Surabaya	LCCT
Iran Air	Tehran-Imam Khomeini	Satellite
Japan Airlines	Tokyo-Narita	Satellite
Jetstar Asia Airways	Singapore	Satellite
KLM	Amsterdam, Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta	Satellite
Korean Air	Seoul-Incheon	Satellite
Kuwait Airways	Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta, Kuwait	Satellite
Lion Air	Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta	Satellite
Lufthansa	Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Frankfurt	Satellite
Mahan Air	Tehran-Imam Khomeini	Satellite
Malaysia Airlines	Alor Star, Bintulu, Johor Bahru, Kota Bharu, Kota Kinabalu, Kuantan, Kuala Terengganu, Kuching, Labuan, Langkawi, Miri, Penang, Sandakan, Sibu, Tawau	Main
Malaysia Airlines	Adelaide, Amsterdam, Auckland, Bandar Seri Begawan, Bangalore, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Beijing-Capital, Brisbane, Chennai, Colombo, Delhi, Denpasar/Bali, Dhaka, Frankfurt, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Hyderabad, Istanbul-Atatürk, Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta, Jeddah, Kathmandu, Kunming, London-Heathrow, Los Angeles, Malé, Manila, Medan, Melbourne, Mumbai, Osaka-Kansai, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Perth, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Seoul-Incheon, Shanghai-Pudong, Siem Reap, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei-Taoyuan, Tokyo-Narita, Xiamen, Yangon	Satellite
Malindo Air	Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Miri (begins 14 June 2013) , Sibu (begins 11 June 2013) , Tawau (begins 26 June 2013)	Main
Mandala Airlines	Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta, Surabaya	LCCT
Myanmar Airways International	Yangon	Satellite
Nepal Airlines	Kathmandu	Satellite
Oman Air	Muscat	Satellite
Pakistan International Airlines	Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar	Satellite
Philippine Airlines	Manila	Satellite
Philippine Airlines operated by PAL Express	Manila	Satellite
Qatar Airways	Doha, Phuket	Satellite
Royal Brunei Airlines	Bandar Seri Begawan	Satellite
Royal Jordanian	Amman-Queen Alia, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi	Satellite
Saudia	Jeddah, Madinah, Riyadh	Satellite
SilkAir	Singapore	Satellite
Singapore Airlines	Singapore	Satellite
SriLankan Airlines	Colombo	Satellite
Thai AirAsia	Bangkok-Don Mueang	LCCT
Thai Airways International	Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi	Satellite
Thai Smile	Phuket	Satellite
Tiger Airways	Singapore	LCCT
Turkish Airlines	Istanbul-Atatürk	Satellite
United Airways	Dhaka	Satellite
Uzbekistan Airways	Tashkent	Satellite
Vietnam Airlines	Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City	Satellite
Xiamen Airlines	Fuzhou, Xiamen	Satellite
Yemenia	Dubai, Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta, Sana'a	Satellite
Zest Air	Manila	LCCT

Note 1: Although Air Mauritius's flight from Kuala Lumpur to Mauritius makes a stop in Singapore; Air Mauritius does not have traffic rights to transport passengers solely between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Cities with direct air connections with Kuala Lumpur

Cargo

Airlines	Destinations	Terminal
Cargolux	Baku, Chennai, Luxembourg, Singapore	Cargo
Cargo Garuda Indonesia	Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta	Cargo
China Airlines Cargo	Chennai, Luxembourg, Penang, Taipei-Taoyuan	Cargo
China Cargo Airlines	Shanghai-Pudong	Cargo
DHL		Cargo
EVA Air Cargo	Taipei-Taoyuan	Cargo
FedEx Express	Cebu, Guangzhou, Penang, Singapore, Tokyo-Narita	Cargo
Gading Sari	Jakarta-Halim	Cargo
Korean Air Cargo	Seoul-Incheon, Penang	Cargo
MASkargo	Amsterdam, Baku, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Chennai, Colombo, Frankfurt, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Labuan, Manila, Penang, Shanghai-Pudong, Sharjah, Sydney, Taipei-Taoyuan, Tokyo-Narita	Cargo
Republic Express Airlines	Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta	Cargo
TNT Airways		Cargo
Transmile Air Services	Anchorage, Bangalore, Chennai, Hong Kong, Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Luik, Malmo, Manila, Medan, Mumbai, Nagoya, Osaka-Kansai, Penang, Riverside, Shanghai-Pudong, Shenzhen, Singapore, Tokyo-Narita, Taipei-Taoyuan	Cargo
Tri-MG Intra Asia Airlines	Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta	Cargo
UPS Airlines	Shenzhen, Osaka-Kansai, Tokyo-Narita, Hong Kong, Seoul-Incheon, Taipei, Manila, Bangkok, Mumbai, Anchorage, Los Angeles, Louisville, Atlanta, Chicago, Seattle, Dallas, Miami, New York-JFK/EWR, Vancouver, Toronto	Cargo

Statistics

Annual Passenger Numbers

Operational statistics of Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Year	Passenger movements	Aircraft movements	Cargo handled (tonnes)
1998	6,524,405	64,123	156,641
1999	13,172,635	116,589	417,068
2000	14,732,876	109,925	510,594
2001	14,538,831	113,590	440,864
2002	16,398,230	127,952	527,124
2003	17,454,564	139,590	586,195
2004	21,058,572	165,115	651,747
2005	23,213,926	182,537	653,654
2006	24,129,748	183,869	672,888
2007	26,453,379	193,710	644,100
2008	27,529,355	211,228	649,077
2009	29,682,093	226,751	584,559
2010	34,087,636	245,650	674,902
2011	37,704,510	269,509	669,849
2012	39,887,866	283,352	673,107

Busiest International Routes

Busiest international routes to and from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (2012)

Rank	Airport	Passengers handled	% Change 2011 / 12
1	Singapore	3,110,166	5.6
2	Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta	1,843,397	18.8
3	Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi	1,454,245	1.1
4	Hong Kong	1,309,000	0.5
5	Denpasar	782,861	1.5
6	Ho Chi Minh City	733,523	12.0
7	Taipei-Taoyuan	695,284	6.2
8	Melbourne	635,105	7.7
9	Dubai	631,210	2.6
10	Guangzhou	608,533	2.1
11	Medan	585,430	10.3
12	Phuket	574,935	10.6
13	Seoul-Incheon	565,936	9.0
14	Surabaya	521,061	5.5
15	Sydney	506,610	32.8
16	London-Heathrow	486,427	12.2
17	Chennai	478,506	8.1
18	Perth	466,457	3.7
19	Dhaka	446,024	17.0
20	Manila	423,905	31.7
21	Colombo	403,358	20.6
22	Amsterdam	389,849	1.8
23	Beijing-Capital	389,567	58.1
24	Shanghai-Pudong	381,174	0.8
25	Doha	358,643	43.5
26	Bandung	335,766	6.6
27	Tokyo-Narita	318,357	8.8
28	Jeddah	311,508	11.5
29	Bandar Seri Begawan	310,709	7.3
30	Phnom Penh	293,236	11.4

Countries With Most Passengers

Countries with maximum passengers to/from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (2012)

Rank	Country/Region	Passengers handled	% Change 2011 / 12
1	20 !Indonesia	4,805,197	9.8
2	05 !Singapore	3,110,166	5.6
3	09 !Thailand	2,622,500	15.2
4	02 !China	2,250,302	4.3
5	19 !Australia	2,025,133	3.0
6	07 !India	1,471,248	10.9
7	08 !Hong Kong	1,309,000	0.5
8	04 !Vietnam	1,067,586	17.5
9	15 !United Arab Emirates	874,802	11.7
10	17 !Japan	728,955	46.8
11	06 !Taiwan	712,258	5.0
12	14 !South Korea	565,936	9.0
13	10 !Philippines	556,291	34.5
14	16 !United Kingdom	525,637	10.9
15	18 !Saudi Arabia	460,235	11.9
16	01 !Bangladesh	446,024	17.0
17	13 !Cambodia	423,888	11.0
18	03 !Sri Lanka	403,358	20.6
19	12 !Netherlands	389,849	1.8
20	11 !Qatar	358,643	43.5

Ground transportation

Inter-terminal transportation

Aerotrain station in Satellite Building

The main terminal and its satellite are well connected by an automated people mover (called Aerotrain). Each 250-person capacity train can transport 3,000 passengers per hour in each direction at up to 56 km/h (35 mph). These three-car driverless trains run every five minutes on elevated rail and under the taxiways. The journey takes under two minutes.

Transport between the Main Terminal and the LCCT requires a 20 km road journey, regularly plied by buses, though the government announced in November 2006 the approval in principle of a rail link between the Main Terminal and the LCCT. Construction was initially postponed until the LCCT was fully constructed (2010) and is still yet to commence.

On 25 November 2008, the train manufacturer and airport operator agreed to the 45 million euro addition of 3 new vehicles and a spur line to a new Operations, Maintenance and Storage Facility worth. The new system was expected to be fully functional by 2011.

Rail

Main articles: KLIA Express, KLIA Transit, KLIA ERL station, KL Sentral

Kuala Lumpur International Airport can be reached by the KLIA Express and the KLIA Transit train services. KLIA Express provides a non-stop express train service to the KL City Air Terminal (KL CAT) which has an IATA designation XKL, part of the Kuala Lumpur Sentral transportation hub in Kuala Lumpur. The non-stop trip between Kuala Lumpur and KLIA is 57 kilometers and takes exactly 28 minutes. Passengers departing from KL CAT can check in their luggage for flights on Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Royal Brunei Airlines and Malaysia Airlines. Whereas KLIA Transit is a high-speed commuter train service linking Kuala Lumpur Sentral, and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport ERL station. It shares the same tracks as the KLIA Express but with stops at three intermediate stations. Check-in facilities are not available at KLIA Transit stations. Passengers to/from Low Cost Carrier Terminal can reach KLIA ERL station by boarding the Feeder Bus provided,such as Skybus and Aerobus.

Another important feature at KLIA is the Aerotrain. The Aerotrain is completely automated and shuttles passengers between the main terminal building and satellite building. There are many benefits that the Aerotrain offers such as the short journey time, simplicity and fail-safe operation, and resistance against breakdown. The train system uses pneumatic rubber-typed wheels to provide comfort for the passengers riding on the train. The Tracked Transit System (TTS) connects to two stations. One station is in the center of the contact pier’s International level and one that is close to the center of the satellite terminal’s departure/arrival level. The TTS transports passengers over an elevated guideway that is 4,219 feet. It travels under the taxiways between the main terminal and satellite buildings. The Aerotrain operates between three to five-minute intervals between terminal buildings. The total round trip time takes five minutes and five seconds with a maximum speed of 35 miles per hour. There are two three-car trains that are able to handle 5,805 passengers per hour each direction. Each train-car has a maximum capacity of 83 passengers. Automatic train control manages the operation of the entire Aerotrain system. They are in control of vehicle speeds, headways, stops and door opening in stations. They are able to integrate all functions that enhance the reliability and performance of the systems

Taxis and limousine

Airport taxis or airport limousines are provided by Airport Limo. The taxis and limousines are readily available at the Taxi and Limousine counters. They run from airport itself to destinations in Klang Valley and Greater Klang Valley. The fares are to be paid at the counter and are charged according to the destinations' zone. A surcharge is applied for services between 12 am to 5 am

Bus

Both public and private buses connect KLIA to several points in Kuala Lumpur and beyond.

From Main Terminal

Airport Coach:

• To KL Sentral. Fare RM 10.00. Frequency every 30 minutes with less frequency past midnight.

From Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT)

Skybus:

• To KL Sentral
• To Bandar Utama

Aerobus:

• To KL Sentral.
• To Genting Highlands.

Expansion and developments

Plans

KLIA Aeropolis Masterplan

Under the new Kuala Lumpur International Airport Masterplan, a new runway and a new satellite building will be constructed to accommodate the increasing number of passengers. The airport Phase 2 development plan is to handle 40 million (5 Million) passengers per year by 2008 with the expansion of low cost carrier terminal. For phase 3, the airport will expand to handle 75 million (35 million) passengers per annum with the construction of a new satellite terminal and replacement of current low cost carrier terminal with a new low cost carrier terminal that will be capable of handling 30 million passengers alone. Under Phase 4, the airport will be capable to handle 100 million passengers per annum by 2020.^{[citation needed]}

With the slight modification of the masterplan, the future Terminal 2's satellite terminal will be combined into one satellite terminal. The expansion of Terminal 2's satellite terminal will be exactly the same as Terminal 1's satellite terminal, where initially the satellite terminal will have four arms, and another four arms when the terminal reached its capacity. There is sufficient land and capacity to develop facilities to handle up to 100 million passengers a year, five runways by the year 2020 and two mega-terminals, each linked with satellite terminals. The airport's vicinity will include hiking trails for jet-lagged travelers, golf courses, convention center, a theme park, a shopping center, hotels, and a wetlands nature preserve. Sepang International Circuit, which hosts Formula One, A1 Grand Prix, Super GT, IndyCar Series and MotoGP races, is also nearby. There has also been a proposal for a monorail link to the F1 circuit. The development plan is due to be ready by April 2008.

Summary of Kuala Lumpur International Airport Masterplan
Phase	Year	Description
Phase 1	1998	Initial Capacity of 25 million Passenger Per Annum
	2006	Capable of Handling 35 million Passengers per annum with the construction of Low Cost Carrier Terminal
Phase 2	2008	Expansion of Low Cost Carrier Terminal to accommodate 40 Million Passengers per annum.
Phase 3	2011	New Low Cost Carrier Terminal will be constructed to accommodate additional 30 million (55 million) passengers Per Annum, Current Low Cost Carrier Terminal converted to cargo usage.
	Not fixed	Satellite Terminal B will be constructed to handle maximum of 75 million passengers. (One terminal accompanied by 2 satellite terminal and one low cost carrier terminal)
Phase 4	Not fixed	Terminal 2 and Satellite Terminal C will be constructed so that the airport is capable to handle 100 million passengers.

Temporary Low Cost Carrier Terminal

With an increasing number of passengers using the 'Low Cost Carrier Terminal '(LCCT), MAHB approved an expansion beginning early 2007 to accommodate more passengers as the current LCCT is nearly at full capacity. The expansion of LCCT also shows the support for launch of Malaysia's first long haul low cost carrier, AirAsia X by making the terminal able to accommodate wide-bodied aircraft that are used by AirAsia X However, the Low Cost Carrier Terminal is a temporary solution for budget travellers, MAHB submitted a proposal to the Transport Ministry to build a new, permanent LCC hub in between the main terminal building and satellite building A to replace the present Low Cost Carrier terminal.

The airport operator has announced that the construction works for the extension of LCCT will begin in March 2008 and expected to complete by December 2008. The capacity for the LCCT will increase from 10 million passengers a year to 15 million passengers a year. A proposal for a more permanent building to house a new LCCT has been submitted and expected to have a capacity for 30 million passengers a year. It is also expected that the new LCCT will be completed by April 2012. It is expected that the current LCCT will be converted into a cargo hub once the new terminal is completed. The RM124 million LCCT expansion project tender was won by Fajarbaru Builder Group Bhd and construction work is expected to begin March 2008. The new international arrival hall was opened on 15 December 2008 with expectation that the rest of the wing will be fully operational by March 2009. The international departure hall was finally open on 18 March 2009 which expanded the handling capacity from 600 passengers at one time to 3200 passengers.

klia2

klia2 will be the newest extension to KLIA. It is located at KLIA West. It was originally planned to be located at KLIA North. Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Razak decided that the airport extension should be opened on June 28, 2013, conciding with the opening date of KLIA. Upon completion (currently scheduled for May 1, 2013), klia2 will be the largest low cost carrier terminal in the South East Asia region with a total area of 257,000 square meters. There will be a total of 68 aircraft parking bays with departure gates for each parking bay, allowing the new terminal to cater up to 45 million passengers annually. There will also be a third runaway which is located 2.2 km from the second runaway."klia2 Ready by April 2013".  klia2 was due to open on the 28th of June 2013, but the opening date has been delayed.

An extension of the Express Rail Link is under construction and is expected to open at the same time as the terminal. It involves a 2.14 km line extension.

On 15 July 2010, the was announced that Bina Puri with partner UEM Construction has won the tender to build the terminal for MYR 997.23 million. Construction works is expected to complete within 20 months. The construction site is next to the Main Terminal Building / Bunga Raya Complex.

A380 Upgrades

The operator of Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad, had spent about RM135 million (approx US$39 million) to upgrade facilities at the KL International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang to accommodate the Airbus A380. Upgrading works started on 3 April 2006, and was completed by 28 May 2007. Works include the provision of shoulders on both sides of the two existing runways of 15 meters as well as the taxiways, building additional aerobridges at the three departure halls, namely C17, C27 and C37, and enhancing the mezzanine lounges for upper deck passengers of the aircraft at the departure halls. Emirates operates flights to Kuala Lumpur with the Airbus A380 commenced on 1 January 2012. Malaysia Airlines also started its A380 services from Kuala Lumpur to London on 1 July 2012.

Accidents and incidents

• In 2001, a Saudia Boeing 747 aircraft suffered nose damage as it entered a monsoon drainage ditch while being taxied from the hangar to the gate before a return flight to Saudi Arabia. None of the six crew members on board at the time were injured.
• 14 July 2007 – An aerobridge suddenly shifted downwards, damaging the door of a Malaysia Airlines Airbus A330 bound for Beijing. The aerobridge was not occupied at the time, and no passengers or crew were injured.
• 15 October 2007 – A Palestinian national managed to hide in the landing nose gear of flight SQ119, from KLIA to Changi Airport, Singapore. He was discovered in Singapore as he fell 2.4 meters from the nose wheel after landing. Despite the cold, thin air during flight, the man survived but was apprehended in Singapore. KLIA authorities have yet to find the cause of the security breach.
• 9 April 2008 – Armed robbers shot six people in a three-minute heist and walked away with RM 3.5 million in cash. The incident happened at 7.30 pm at Door 8 when two moneychangers and two security guards walking towards the gate were ambushed by six men from a BMW vehicle. Victims were seriously injured but in stable condition.
• 9 January 2009 – A small fire broke out in the LCC terminal, shutting down the terminal for two hours and delaying 20 flights. The fire was caused by a welding spark in the construction area of the terminal.
• 3 March 2011 – 56 flights at the KL International Airport KLIA were delayed after a bomb, believed to be from World War II, was found at the site of the KLIA2 construction site.

Gallery

Panoramic view of Main Terminal Building and Contact Pier

• 

  Skybridge from Main Terminal Building to Pan Pacific Hotel (now known as Sama Sama Hotel)

• 

  An Alternative View of the Satellite Terminal

• 

  Baggage Claim Area

• 

  Control Tower

Further reading

• "Official Opening KL International Airport." Department of Civil Aviation.

External links

• Official website
• Kuala Lumpur International Airport Real Time Flight Schedule
• KLIA Low Cost Carrier (LCC) Terminal Website
• KLIA Info Pages
• Airport information for WMKK at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.

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