Kuala Lumpur International Airport unveils ambitious plans for new Low Cost Carrier Terminal – 14/04/09
Published: 14/04/09
Source: ©The Moodie Report
By Melody Ng in Kuala Lumpur
MALAYSIA. Malaysia Airports Holdings (MAHB) has revealed plans to build a new permanent Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) by the third quarter of 2011.
Construction is scheduled to start in June 2009 on a fast track basis, Eraman CEO Umar Bustamam* told The Moodie Report.
The new terminal, at a cost of MYR2 billion (US$555 million), will be able to accommodate up to 30 million passengers per annum, with capacity for expansion to 45 million passengers per annum.
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The location of the new Low Cost Carrier Terminal was determined by the National Airport Master Plan (NAMP) in a study jointly conducted by Netherlands Airport Consultants BV (NACO) and KLIA Consultancy Services (KLIACS)
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The current LCCT, which opened in March 2006, can only accommodate a maximum capacity of 15 million passengers per annum. The 35,290sq m terminal is located 20km from KLIA’s Main Terminal Building.
In contrast, the new 150,000sq m terminal will be located just 1.5km away from the Main Terminal Building. Besides “excellent” landside connection, the two terminals will be linked via ERL Connection, MAHB said.
The new LCCT will also host a 6,000 bay multi-storey car park and an integrated transport hub for buses and taxis, while 70 aircraft parking apron bays will be built on the airside. MAHB will also invest in the construction of a third runway spanning 4km in length. Full parallel taxiways for aircrafts will also be built for Runway 2 and Runway 3 for quick turnaround.
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"We hope that with the success of the low cost carrier business model, more low cost airlines will be attracted to KLIA. We hope to become the low cost hub of the region" |
Umar Bustamam
CEO
Eraman Malaysia |
Transfer Areas will also be planned to facilitate ease of connections as well as an Immigration Processing Area for Labour Traffic. There will also be a Tourism Malaysia Hub in the new LCCT's Arrival Area.
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Malaysia Airports and Eraman were profiled in the May 2008 issue of The Moodie Report Digital Print Edition
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MAHB Managing Director Dato' Seri Bashir Ahmad commented: "The design of the LCCT building will take into account input from all potential airlines. We want to ensure that passengers are comfortable and that the new terminal will provide excellent operational efficiency."
MAHB also added that the new LCCT will focus on “efficient layout plans for concession areas (retail, F&B etc)”. A consultant has already been engaged to advise on the design and layout of the new building, Bustamam said.
He revealed that there are no clear indications of what brands and concessions will be at the new LCCT, which he described as a potential “gold mine”.
“Looking at the trend now, there is a lot of interest from newcomers, small players and even the big players in retail and food & beverage. When we first opened the [existing] LCCT, none of the big players were interested to come in, only the newcomers and small companies. But today, the giants want to play a role in the LCCT’s retail business,” Bustamam told The Moodie Report.
In the interim, the new LCCT is being referred to as the ‘Low Cost Hub Terminal’. “We hope that with the success of the low-cost carrier business model, more low-cost airlines will be attracted to KLIA. We hope to become the low-cost hub of the region,” Bustamam said.
‘Lifestyle Mall’ at Contact Pier
Besides booming sales at the current LCCT, Eraman’s position in this gloomy economic climate is being buoyed by its new retail business at the Contact Pier.
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Eraman’s Lifestyle Mall project was profiled in the October 2008 issue of The Moodie Report Digital Print Edition
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Phase 1 of Eraman’s 30,000sq ft ‘Lifestyle Mall’ was completed in December last year, and the core duty free offering – liquor, tobacco and confectionery – is already available to passengers. Previously lacking in retail facilities, the Contact Pier is now a valuable source of additional revenue for Eraman, Bustamam noted.
Phase 2 of the open-concept Lifestyle Mall, with a dedicated area for fashion and accessories, is scheduled for completion at the end of May. Originally meant to be ready by the end of this month, the retail concept had to be reviewed in light of the economic crisis, Bustamam said.
As a result, Eraman will be scaling down the fashion offering and adding in an emporium selling core duty free products. The perfumes & cosmetics area has also been redesigned and reduced in size because of “operational constraints and passenger flow”, Bustamam said. The 5,000sq ft ‘Kidz Smart Tunnel’ catering to young travellers is 95% complete, he added. On completion it will offer toys, games, chocolate and one-of-a-kind collectors’ items for toy fanatics.
CLICK THROUGH THE GALLERY BELOW TO VIEW ERAMAN’S LIFESTYLE MALL AT CONTACT PIER, KLIA
*NOTE: Umar Bustamam has relinquished his role as Malaysia Airports General Manager Commercial Services, and is now fully committed to his position as CEO of Eraman, MAHB’s wholly owned retail subsidiary. His responsibilities in Commercial Services have since been taken over by Malaysia Airports Commercial Services Senior General Manager Puan Faizah Khairuddin.
A profile of MAHB’s commercial business, and its retail arm Eraman, will feature in The Moodie Report Digital Print Edition for May.
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