SEPANG, March 20 — The government intends to return the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to the top 10 of Skytrax’s world airport rankings, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
The minister said as part of the efforts to achieve this aspiration, all relevant parties should pay attention to maintaining and upgrading operations systems such as the Aerotrain and the baggage handling system.
“These two components are vital to the customer experience, apart from other factors such as the airport’s exterior or interior environments, shopping experience and the airport lounge, among others.
“We must pay attention and revitalise these factors so that KLIA becomes a national pride and also the choice of passengers as among the world’s best airports,” he told a press conference after the official launch of KLIA’s Plaza Premium Lounge here, today.
Loke said KLIA ranked 67th in Skytrax’s World’s Top 100 Airports for 2023, falling five rungs from 62nd in 2022.
He said attention must be given to the trend of falling rankings, and this must be corrected to present a good image internationally.
KLIA’s highest ranking was number two in 2001, before falling to 14th in 2013 and 44th in 2018.
“In the 25 years following the construction and the opening of the KLIA, the airport has been among the best globally, with modern and sophisticated operations systems, and becoming the pride of the nation.
“We understand that passenger movements have been increasing, and what was sufficient 25 years ago is no longer adequate today. Therefore, we need to quickly adapt and increase the current (system and services) capacity,” he said.
Loke said he had noted the grievances of passengers and tourists concerning the suspension of the Aerotrain service and that action had been taken to upgrade the shuttle bus service.
The minister was referring to the suspension of the Aerotrain service since March 2, 2023, following safety concerns after passengers were stranded due to a breakdown the day before.
