KLIA2 has what it takes to soar, says Najib
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SEPANG: KLIA2 is able to handle up to 45 million passengers a year. And, that’s three times more than the previous Low Cost Carrier Terminal’s (LCCT) capacity.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak Najib said that based on the passenger traffic projection for this year, KLIA2 would see about 25 million passengers pass through the terminal by year’s end.
It has the capacity to support projected air travel growth for at least the next 10 to 15 years.
KLIA2 began its commercial operations on May 2. Since then, it has successfully handled more than three million passenger and 24,000 aircraft movements.
Najib said KLIA2 played a critical role as part of the KLIA system to realise Malaysia’s potential to become the region’s leading aviation hub.
He said under the National Airport Master Plan, the Government laid out a strategic development road map to provide for growth in air travel demand across the nation over the next 50 years.
“The aviation industry has been named in 2014 Budget as one of the focus areas,” the Prime Minister said.
“A sum of RM1bil has been allocated, of which RM700mil will be spent for the development of a new air traffic management centre at KLIA to facilitate an increase in air traffic from 68 to 108 movements per hour on the three runways that KLIA now has,” Najib said at yesterday’s official opening.
Present were Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, who is also Acting Transport Minister.
Najib said another RM300mil had been allocated for upgrading of airports nationwide.
During the launch, KLIA2 was also officially inducted into the Malaysia Book of Records as the “Biggest Purpose Built Terminal for Low Cost Carriers & First Airport Terminal Sky Bridge”.
The certificate was presented to the chairman of Malaysia Airports Tan Sri Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah by the book of record’s founder and managing director Tan Sri Danny Ooi.
