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===Satellite Building===
===Satellite Building===

*[[Aeroflot]] (Moscow) (begins 2007)
*[[Air China]] (Beijing)
*[[Air China]] (Beijing)
*[[Air India]] (Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai)
*[[Air India]] (Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai)
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*[[China Eastern Airlines]] (Kunming, Shanghai-Pudong)
*[[China Eastern Airlines]] (Kunming, Shanghai-Pudong)
*[[Emirates Airline|Emirates]] (Dubai, Jakarta, Singapore)
*[[Emirates Airline|Emirates]] (Dubai, Jakarta, Singapore)
*[[Etihad Airways]] (Abu Dhabi) (starts 2007)
*[[EVA Air]] (Taipei-Taoyuan)
*[[EVA Air]] (Taipei-Taoyuan)
*[[Finnair]] (Bangkok, Helsinki) [starts May 21, 2007] [http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BT/Tuesday/Corporate/BT588225.txt/Article/]
*[[Finnair]] (Bangkok, Helsinki) [starts May 21, 2007] [http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BT/Tuesday/Corporate/BT588225.txt/Article/]

Revision as of 17:34, 17 October 2006

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Kuala Lumpur International Airport (Malay: Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur) (Chinese: 吉隆坡国际机场) (Tamil:கோலாலம்பூர் அனைத்துலக விமானநிலையம்) (Japanese:クアラルンプール国際空港) (Arabic: [كولا لومبور] مطار دول) (IATA: KUL, ICAO: WMKK) is Malaysia's main international airport and is situated in Sepang district, in the south of the state of Selangor, about 50 km from the capital city, Kuala Lumpur. Built at a cost of some USD 3.5 billion, KLIA was inaugurated on 27 June 1998. Its slogan was Bringing the World to Malaysia and Malaysia to the World.

Operated by Malaysia Airports (Sepang) Sdn Bhd, KLIA is the hub for Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia.

History

The planning of KLIA began in 1990 when the government decided that the existing Subang International Airport (now Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport) would not suffice to handle future demand. Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad was a prime driver behind the project, which was seen as an important component of the Multimedia Super Corridor.

The decision was highly controversial on multiple grounds. The location, over 70 km from Kuala Lumpur was viewed as inconvenient; the price tag, and its ballooning from original estimates, was steep; and critics alleged that, contrary to the government's assertions, Subang could still be expanded. Indeed, work on Subang continued simultaneously with KLIA's construction. Subang's new Terminal 3 was opened in December 1993 and Terminal 2 was refurbished in 1995, only three years before KLIA's opening.

The inauguration of the airport on June 27, 1998 — one week before the new Hong Kong International Airport — was marked with significant problems. Aerobridge and bay allocation systems broke down, queues formed throughout the airport, and baggage handling broke down badly, with lost bags and waits of over five hours. [1] Most of these issues were sorted out eventually, but the baggage handling system continued to be plagued with problems and was finally put up for a new complete replacement tender in 2006.

The airport also had to contend with the East Asian financial crisis that had started in 1997, which decimated passenger traffic in Malaysia and the region. Passenger growth was initially negative and airlines that had started flights to KLIA, including All Nippon Airways, British Airways, Lufthansa and Northwest Airlines, soon terminated their services due to unprofitability. The first phase of the airport was designed with a capacity of 25 million passengers per year, but 1999, the first full year of operations, saw only 13.2 million. [1] However, traffic did eventually increase and 21.1 million passengers were recorded in 2003 — although this, too, fell short of the original estimate of 35 million by this year.

The name Kuala Lumpur International Airport was previously used as an alternative name for the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (SZB) in Subang.

Future plans

Under Ninth Malaysia Plan, a new runway and a new satellite building will be constructed to accommodate the incresing number of passengers. However, this is still under planning stage. Futher more,there are plans to connect the Main Terminal Building to Low Cost Carrier Terminal with KLIA Express, or a new monorail line also connecting to the F1 circuit.

  • Phase 2 (2003-2008): To handle 35 million passengers per annum by 2008.
  • Phase 3 (2008 and beyond): Further expansion of the airport to handle 45 million passengers per annum by 2012.

There is sufficient land and capacity to develop facilities to handle up to 100 million passengers a year, four runways by the year 2020 and two mega-terminals, each with two linked satellite buildings, which means a total of 2 mega terminals and 4 satellite buildings

Once all three phases are developed, the airport's vicinity will include hiking trails for jet-lagged travelers, golf courses, a theme park, a shopping center, hotels, and a wetlands nature preserve. Sepang International Circuit, which hosts Formula 1 and MotoGP races, is also nearby.

Design

KLIA was designed by Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa. The airport was designed using the concept of Airport in the forest, forest in the airport, in which it is surrounded by green space. This was done with the co-operation of the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia. An entire section of rainforest was transplanted, roots and all, from the jungle and put in the middle of the satellite building.

The airport is designed to handle up to 100 million passengers per year. Despite its size, it is designed to disperse human traffic to all corners of the building, with a simple layout and effective signage that in Malay, English, Mandarin, Japanese and Arabic. Facilities for disabled passengers also meet world standards. Futhermore, it has Automated People Mover and Travellators to allow quick and easy movement in the airport.

Infrastructure and facilities

The runways and buildings cover an overall site of 100 square kilometres, and with its 75 ramp stands, it is theoretically capable of handling 100 aircraft movements at any given time. There are 216 check-in counters, arranged in six check-in aisles. The airport is the first in the world to use the Total Airport Management System (TAMS) — although the system was blamed for the airport's teething troubles by Transport Minister Ling Liong Sik. [2]

Air traffic control tower

The 130 meters high tower is currently the second tallest air traffic control Tower in the world, after New Bangkok International Airport's control tower. Shaped like an Olympic torch, it houses the air traffic control systems and radar equipment.

ATC frequencies:

  • Lumpur Clearance Delivery - 126.00 MHz
  • Lumpur Ground - 121.65 MHz, 121.80MHz, 229MHz
  • Lumpur Tower - 118.50MHz, 118.80MHz, 229MHz
  • Lumpur Approach - 119.45MHz
  • ATIS - 126.45Mhz

Runways

KLIA has two parallel runways. The entire runway is 4,000 meters long and 60m wide each. Each runway also has 10 taxiways with the taxiing time ranging from 2.1 minutes to 10.8 minutes. The two full-service runways can handle 120 movements per hour when one runway handles taking off and one runway handles landing. Each runway is also equipped with one completely parallel taxiway along with a second parallel taxiway. The runways at KLIA are to be upgraded in order to accommodate the Airbus A380. Future expansion of the KLIA Master Plan includes the addition of another two runways.

Baggage Handling System (BHS)

The operational concept is based on a 24-hour daily operation providing check-in service anytime and anywhere. Incorporating automatic bar-code sorting control, 4 level in-line baggage security screening and high speed conveyor belts. BHS operates efficient and safe transportation of inbound and outbound bags between the Main Terminal Building and Satellite Building.

Major Features of the BHS:

Baggage common check-in at any of the 216 counters on a 24-hour basis

  • 8 short-term carpark baggage check-in counters
  • 8 bus & train stations baggage check-in counters
  • 3 stage baggage security screening system
  • Early check-in baggage storage (1,200 bags capacity)
  • 12 baggage reclaim carousels
  • 33 km total length of conveyor belts
  • Part of the belts travel through a 1.1 km tunnel from the Main Terminal Building to the Satellite Building

Fire and rescue

Airport Fire and Rescue Services (AFRS) are provided to cope with aircraft accidents occuring on or in the immediate vicinity of KLIA Sepang.

  • Fire Station 1, built on 170,000 sq feet has total floor area of 11,400 sq ft with steel structures consisting of 2 floors.
  • Fire Station 2, built on 60,500 sq feet has total floor area of 12,900 sq ft with steel structures consisting of 2 floors.

There are 7 Foam tenders (0 x 0), 1 Command and control, 1 Turntable ladder, 1 First-aid vehicle, 2 Water tenders, 1 Officer-in-charge vehicle, and 1 Rescue tender in use.

Explosives defusion chambers

KLIA is the second airport in the world after Munich to have a special chamber to defuse explosives as part of its sophisticated fire-fighting systems. It has two decompression chambers costing RM 3.2 million to dispose of explosive materials. KLIA's fire fighting unit was the first in the region to secure seven Ultra Large Foam Tender (ULFT) vehicles costing RM 3.8 million each, which can be operated in any condition.

Terminals

Interior of the Main Terminal.
Interior of the Satellite Terminal.

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 5-10 minute (indoor) walk away. Regular (free) buggy services are also available to the Pan Pacific. Shopping spots are available on an area encompassing 85,000 square metres.

The Main Terminal Building and Satellite Building are connected by Aerotrain, a two-car driverless train that runs on elevated rail and under the taxiways at three to five minute intervals. The journey between terminals takes under two minutes, and each 250-person capacity train is able to transport 3,000 passengers per hour per direction.

Main terminal building and contact pier

The main terminal caters for the departure and arrival of domestic flights (except AirAsia). There are a total of 216 check-in counters, identified by alphabets A – M (excluding I). Multi check in services are available, designed for the use of all passengers arriving, departing or in transit. There are 61 and 69 immigration counters for departing and arriving passengers respectively, 16 transfer counters and 32 customs counters as well as 12 baggage carousels (10 for international passengers and 2 for domestic passengers). The baggage handling system employs a fully automated state-of-the-art system using High Speed Belt Conveyors.

Facilities within the terminal include:

  • Auto Teller Machines (ATMs) - Maybank, EON Bank and RHB Bank.
  • Information counters and information kiosks with touch-screens.
  • Fitness Centre
  • Business centres
  • Showers, sauna and spa
  • Surau (Muslim prayer rooms)
  • Nursery and childrens' play area
  • Feature Display Area - A small area located at the Departure Level of MTB which displays pictures and information on KLIA features and the chronology of KLIA.
  • Post office
  • Health/medical services
  • Passenger Assistance Centre
  • Dining outlets
  • Quiet rooms
  • Shopping
  • Smoking areas

Satellite Building

The building accommodates all international flights departing and arriving at KLIA. Passengers have to travel to the Satellite Building via the Aerotrain. This aerotrain operates at three to five minutes intervals. This two-car 250 passenger capacity train is able to move 3,000 passengers per hour per direction. Starting on an elevated track from the Contact Pier, the aerotrain travels under the taxiways into the Satellite Building within two minutes.

Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCC Terminal)

The first purpose built Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) was specifically built at KL International Airport to cater to the growing passengers of the Low Cost Airlines, especially the passengers of Malaysia's first "no-frills" airline, Air Asia. It is located beside the KLIA Main Terminal Building. Construction of the LCC Terminal was on a fast-track basis beginning June 2005 at an approximate cost of RM 108 million.

The 35,290 square-meter terminal is designed and built to suit the Low Cost Carrier (LCC) business model that requires only basic terminal amenities. With this in mind, the terminal is designed to facilitate the movements of international and domestic passengers within a single-floor operation area. Thus, it does not require travellators, escalators or aerobridges to be provided at the terminal. The LCCT terminal connects with the Main Terminal Building with a green-coded NadiKLIA bus for RM1.20. A future transit rail connecting both buldings is under consideration.

Ground transportation

Connections to Kuala Lumpur are possible via KLIA Express train (RM35 one way), taxis (approximately RM60), and by bus.

Rail

Main articles: KLIA Ekspres, KLIA Transit

KLIA Ekspres provides a non-stop express train service to the KL City Air Terminal, part of the Kuala Lumpur Sentral transportation hub.

KL City Air Terminal has the IATA designation XKL and can be used by passengers to check in for flights from KLIA. Currently, only Malaysia Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Royal Brunei Airlines flights can be checked-in at KL CAT.The non-stop trip between Kuala Lumpur and KLIA is 57 kilometres and takes exactly 28 minutes. Trains depart at 15-minute intervals during peak hours and 20-minute intervals during off-peak hours. A basic one-way trip costs 35 ringgit (RM35).

Malaysians often refer to both services as the Express Rail Link or ERL. Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd is the concessionaire for both services. The trains run at a maximum commercial speed at 160km/h.

KLIA Transit is a high-speed commuter train service linking Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). It shares the same tracks as the KLIA Ekspres but unlike the direct airport express service, KLIA Transit stops at three other stations. There are five stations served by KLIA Transit. They are (from north to south):

The KLIA Transit stations in KL Sentral and KLIA are different from those of the KLIA Ekspres.

At KL Sentral, the KLIA Transit station is accessed from the main Transit Concourse at Level One (not the Kuala Lumpur City Air Terminal or KL CAT). In KLIA, the station is accessed from Level Three (Arrivals) of the main terminal building.

The 57-kilometre journey between KL Sentral and KLIA takes 36 minutes. Trains run once every half hour. The first train from KL Sentral is at 0533 while the last is at 0003. The first train from KLIA is at 0552 and the last departs at 0100.

Fares depend on the distance travelled. The fares for KL Sentral-KLIA and KLIA-KL Sentral are the same as KLIA Ekspres at 35 ringgit (RM35). There are reduced fares for elderly people (over 50), though this reduction applies only to Malaysian citizens.

Check-in facilities are not available at KLIA Transit stations. However, passengers holding KLIA Transit tickets are allowed to check-in luggage for several airlines at the KL CAT in KL Sentral.

Feeder buses will be available to passengers who wish to go to LCC Terminal

For more information,visit KLIA Transit or KLIA Ekspres

Taxis & Limo

Airport Taxis or Airport Limo is provided by Airport Limo The coupons for taxi and limo can be obtainned at the 3 counter located at :

  1. The International arrival area just after Customs before the public arrival area, level 3, Main Terminal Building
  2. The Domestic arrival hall area by the door 3, level 3, Main Terminal Building
  3. The Domestic Baggage Reclaim area, level 3, Main Terminal Building
  4. The counter staff of Airport Limo will be there to assist you.

There are 4 types of taxis :

  1. Budget taxi: Daewoo Tacuma Capacity 3 / 4 Passengers; Proton Wira, Capacity 3 Passengers.
  2. Premier Limo: Renault Enviro, 4 / 5 Passengers; Mercedes E220, Capacity 4 Passengers.
  3. Super Luxury: Jaguar S-type, Capacity 3 Passengers.
  4. Family Service: Kia Pregio Van, Capacity 8 Passengers.

Bus

Buses to KLIA Main Terminal

1. Airport Coach

  • Express Coach (From Hotels in KL via Hentian Duta)
  • Express Coach (From Sri Petaling LRT Interchange)
  • Semi Express ( From Nilai KTM Station)

2.KR Travel and Tours

  • KR Travel and Tours (From Nilai KTM Sation via LCC-T)

3.Triton Bus

  • Express Coach (From Ipoh)
  • Express Coach (From Kuantan)
  • Express Coach (From Temerloh)

Buses to KLIA LCC-T

  • SkyBus ( KL Sentral-LCCT-KL Sentral)
  • Nadi KLIA (KLIA Main - LCCT - KLIA Main)
  • KR Travel and Tours (Nilai KTM station-LCCT)

Airlines and Destinations

The airport is the main hub for Malaysia Airlines, and one terminus of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore air shuttle operated by both Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines. Airlines serving this airport include:

Departure and Arrival building.
Air Asia and Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737 aircraft at contact terminal
File:KLIA ADepartureLounge October2005.jpg
Departure lounge with large windows for light and aircraft viewing.

Contact Pier

  • Lion Air (Jakarta)
  • Malaysia Airlines (Alor Star, Bintulu, Johor Bahru, Kota Bharu, Kota Kinabalu, Kuantan, Kuala Terengganu, Kuching, Labuan, Langkawi, Miri, Penang, Sandakan, Sibu, Tawau)

Satellite Building

Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT)

  • AirAsia (Alor Star, Angeles City, Bandar Seri Begawan, Bandung, Bangkok, Bintulu, Chiang Mai, Denpasar/Bali, Hanoi, Jakarta, Johor Bahru, Kota Bharu, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Terengganu, Kuching, Labuan, Langkawi, Macau, Medan, Miri, Padang, Palembang [7] Pekan Baru, Penang, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Sandakan, Sibu, Siem Reap, Solo, Surabaya, Tawau)
  • Cebu Pacific (Manila (from November 30, 2006))
  • Indonesia AirAsia (Jakarta) -formerly known Awair
  • Thai AirAsia (Bangkok)

Cargo Airlines

The following cargo airlines also serve the airport:


Previous users

Incidents

  • In 2001, a Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747 aircraft suffered nose damage as it entered a monsoon drainage ditch while it was 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.


  1. ^ "Passengers at Kuala Lumpur airport up despite fewer airlines", [8]. Asian Economic News, August 6, 2001.
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