KLIA Hopes to Regain Lustre as Aerotrain Service Set to Resume

News comes as relief to international passengers after nearly 2½-year wait

- Hazlin Hassan

SEPANG, Malaysia - A two-minute, driverless train service at Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) linking its main terminal to a satellite complex for international flights will resume operations on July 1 after a nearly 2½-year wait, as the country hopes to put the embarrassing episode in the rear-view mirror.

The news comes as a relief for international passengers who have to rely on shuttle buses for the 1.3km connection, and will help repair the airport's battered reputation.

But industry observers and analysts say the aerotrain service is just one of several issues that Malaysia's main airline gateway must address to improve its facilities and enhance its image, even as the global travel industry continues its post-pandemic recovery.

The aerotrain service was suspended after a breakdown in February 2023 that forced 114 passengers to walk along the rail track at the halfway mark between the two terminals.

The main KLIA Terminal 1 houses immigration counters and is used mainly for domestic flights, while international airlines use the satellite complex.

The much-anticipated resumption of the sole internal train service at the airport comes at a critical time for Malaysia, which is the chair for regional grouping Asean in 2025, and is set to host Visit Malaysia Year in 2026.

The number of passengers travelling through KLIA rose 21 per cent to 57.1 million in 2024, including 41.9 million international passengers, according to global aviation and travel data services provider Centre for Aviation.

The airport, which opened in 1998, had in the past been ranked among the world's top 10 airports — in 2001, 2010, 2011 and 2012 — but has slid down the list ever since.