Report: KLIA operating above capacity, klia2 underutilised

PETALING JAYA: There is an increasing passenger growth imbalance that is causing problems for the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), an international aviation research centre has revealed.
According to a report by the Centre for Aviation (Capa), the country's main international airport KLIA is currently operating above its capacity, while its younger sibling klia2 was underutilised.
This is despite klia2, a purpose-built terminal dedicated to low-cost carriers, recording a nearly 50% increase in traffic since it opened to the public in 2014, along with a third runway.
"Operating with two terminals and three runways provides ample capacity for growth and puts KLIA in a strong position relative to other Asian hubs, which are grappling with serious infrastructure constraints.
"However, KLIA's main terminal is now operating above capacity, whereas klia2 is underutilised and unpopular with airlines," it said in its analysis released today.
Capa noted that passenger traffic at both terminals have surged by 11% in 2017, with double-digit gains at both the airports.
However, it said the current imbalance between the two terminals was not easy to solve.
"Moving Malindo Air, Malaysia's third largest and fastest-growing airline, is one proposal.
"However, Malindo does not want to move to klia2 – and should not be forced to – as it is increasingly relying on interline traffic," it said, referring to the airline's use of the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang.