Low-cost carriers to get own terminal in M'sia
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday launched the biggest low-cost-carrier airline terminal in the world, designed to handle up to 10 million passengers a year.
The 108-million ringgit (Bt1.1-billion) terminal, known as LCC Terminal-KLIA, is an extension of KL International airport.Abdullah was accompanied by transport minister Chan Kong Choy and other senior officials from the ministry of transport, Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd, AirAsia Bhd and officials from the aviation industry. For the 130 passengers on board AirAsia flight AK 6315 from Penang, the first to land at the new terminal, there was the added surprise of a being greeted by Abdullah. AirAsia, Asia's largest low-fare airline, and its associates Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia, will be the main carriers at the terminal and occupy up to two-thirds of the check-in counters and 4,925 square metres of office space on its mezzanine floor. The opening of the terminal marks a milestone for the aviation industry and Malaysia. No-frills or low-cost travel is a new phenomenon in the region. AirAsia has pioneered and revolutionised low-cost travel in the region. With its fast-growing network, which now encompasses Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Macau, Vietnam, Cambodia, China and the Philippines, it has carried 17 million passengers to date. The terminal will make Malaysia an important hub for low-cost travel in the region and it is expected that development of the market will further stimulate growth in the tourism industry. According to Chan, the completion of the project, which took less than nine months, is a reflection of his government's commitment to develop the low-cost travel sector. "Although this is a low-cost-carrier terminal, the facilities offered are similar if not better than at other international airports in the region," he said. Meanwhile, Malaysia Airports' managing director, Bashir Ahmad, said it was hoped that with this terminal, low-cost carriers would make Malaysia their new destination. He added that he expected to see the low-cost sector make rapid progress. The opening of the terminal completes KLIA as an integrated airport that caters to passengers of all levels. Last year 23.2 million passed through KLIA, of which low-cost airline passengers constituted 17 per cent (4.0 million passengers). Suchat Sritama The Nation KUALA LUMPUR
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