Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Airport in Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kuala Lumpur International Airportmap

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) (IATA: KUL, ICAO: WMKK) is the main international airport serving Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. It is located in the Sepang District of Selangor, approximately 45 km (28 mi) south of downtown Kuala Lumpur and serves the city's greater conurbation.

Quick Facts Kuala Lumpur International Airport Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur, Summary ...
Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur
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Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerKhazanah Nasional
OperatorMalaysia Airports
ServesGreater Kuala Lumpur
LocationSepang, Selangor, Malaysia
Opened27 June 1998; 26 years ago (1998-06-27)
Hub for
Operating base for
Time zoneMST (UTC+08:00)
Elevation AMSL21 m / 70 ft
Coordinates02°44′36″N 101°41′53″E
Websiteairports.malaysiaairports.com.my
Maps
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KUL/WMKK
KUL/WMKK
Location in Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia
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KUL/WMKK
KUL/WMKK
KUL/WMKK (Malaysia)
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KUL/WMKK
KUL/WMKK
KUL/WMKK (Southeast Asia)
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KUL/WMKK
KUL/WMKK
KUL/WMKK (Asia)
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Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
14L/32R 4,124 13,530 Asphalt
14R/32L 4,000 13,123 Asphalt
15/33 3,960 12,992 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Passengers47,224,000 (Increase85.9%)
Domestic passengers14,664,000 (Increase31.8%)
International passengers32,560,000 (Increase128.1%)
Aircraft movements319,026 (Increase 60.9%)
Cargo (tonnes)660,040 (Increase 30.7%)(2022)
Sources: MAHB[1]
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Quick Facts Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese ...
Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Traditional Chinese吉隆坡國際機場
Simplified Chinese吉隆坡国际机场
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinJílóngpō Guójì Jīchǎng
Yale RomanizationJílóngpō Guójì Jīchǎng
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KLIA is the largest and busiest airport in Malaysia and is recognised as a megahub. In 2023, it handled 47.2 million passengers, 980,040 tonnes of cargo and 819,026 aircraft movements, ranking as the 35th-busiest airport by total passenger traffic. As of 2024, KLIA has become the second most connected airport globally, following London Heathrow and preceding Tokyo Haneda in terms of international connectivity.[2]

The airport is operated by Malaysia Airports (MAHB) Sepang Sdn Bhd and is the major hub of Malaysia Airlines, MASkargo, Batik Air Malaysia, UPS Airlines and World Cargo Airlines, and the major operating base of AirAsia and AirAsia X.

History

Background

The ground breaking ceremony for Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) took place on 1 June 1993[3] when the government under Mahathir Mohamad decided that the existing Kuala Lumpur airport, then known as Subang International Airport (now Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport) could not handle future demand. The construction of the airport was done mainly by a few state owned construction companies as well as Ekovest Berhad – helmed by Tan Sri Datuk Lim Kang Hoo. It was created as part of the Multimedia Super Corridor, a grand development plan for Malaysia. The chief architect who designed the new airport terminal was the Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa.[4]

Upon KLIA's completion, Subang Airport's Terminal 1 building was demolished. Malaysia Airports agreed to redevelop the remaining Terminal 3 to create a specialist airport for turboprop and charter planes surrounded by a residential area and a business park.[5] The IATA airport code KUL was transferred from Subang Airport, which currently handles only turboprop aircraft, general aviation and military aircraft.

Current site

The airport's site spans 100 square kilometres (39 sq mi) 2[6] of former agricultural land and is one of the world's largest airport sites. An ambitious three-phase development plan anticipates KLIA to have three runways and two terminals each with two satellite terminals.[7] Phase One involved the construction of the main terminal and one satellite terminal, giving a capacity of 25 million passengers, and two full service runways. The Phase One airport had 60 contact piers, 20 remote parking bays with 80 aircraft parking positions, four maintenance hangars and fire stations. Phase Two, designed to increase capacity to 35 million passengers per year, is largely complete. Phase Three is anticipated to increase capacity to 100 million passengers per year.[7]

Grand opening

Kuala Lumpur International Airport was officially inaugurated by the tenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Ja'afar of Negeri Sembilan, on 27 June 1998 at 20:30 MST. The first domestic arrival was Malaysia Airlines flight MH1263 from Kuantan at 07:10 MST. The first international arrival was Malaysia Airlines flight MH188 from Malé at 07:30 MST. The first domestic departure was Malaysia Airlines flight MH1432 to Langkawi at 07:20 MST; the first international departure was Malaysia Airlines flight MH84 to Beijing at 09:00 MST.[8]

Inauguration

The inauguration of the airport was marked with numerous problems. The aerobridge and bay allocation systems broke down, with queues building up throughout the airport and the baggage handling breaking down. Bags were lost, and there were waits of over five to seven hours.[9] Most of these issues were remedied eventually, though the baggage handling system was plagued with problems until it was put up for a complete replacement tender in 2007.

The airport suffered greatly reduced traffic with the general reduction in economic activity brought about by the 1997 Asian financial crisis, September 11 attacks, SARS, bird flu epidemic (Avian flu), the financial crisis of 2007–2008, the 2009 swine flu pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. The airport is also largely overshadowed by the more internationally renowned Changi Airport located approximately 300 kilometres (190 mi) to the southeast in Singapore, especially in regards to connecting flights by various airlines or Malaysians especially living in the southern parts of the country (e.g. Johor) preferring to travel via Changi rather than at KLIA.

The first year of opening immediately saw reduction of passenger numbers as some airlines, including All Nippon Airways (resumed on 1 September 2015), British Airways (reinstated on 28 May 2015 until 28 March 2021[10]), Lufthansa (resumed between 28 March 2004[11] until 28 February 2016)[12] and Northwest Airlines, terminated their loss-making services to KLIA. KLIA's first full year of operations in 1999, in its Phase One manifestation (capacity of 25 million passengers per year), saw only 13.2 million passengers.[13] Passenger numbers eventually increased to 21.1 million in 2004 and 47 million in 2013[14] — though short of the originally estimated 25 million passengers per year by 2003.

Rebranding

On 9 February 2023, transport minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook announced that the government and MAHB had agreed to rebrand KLIA and klia2 to KLIA Terminal 1 and KLIA Terminal 2 respectively.[15] The costs associated with the rebranding will be fully borne by MAHB.[16]

Runways

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Airport layout

Kuala Lumpur International Airport has three parallel runways (14L/32R; 14R/32L; 15/33[17]).

The current three runway system is capable of handling 78 landings per hour and was expected to increase to 108 landings per hour once upgrading of the Kuala Lumpur Flight Information Region had been completed in 2019.[18] These runways operate on different departure/arrival modes according to the air traffic requirements.[19]

Operations and infrastructure

Kuala Lumpur International Airport features a number of modern design features that assist in the efficient operation of the airport. It is one of the first Asia Pacific airports to become 100% Bar Coded Boarding Pass capable.[20] Malaysia Airlines;[21] AirAsia;[22] MASkargo, a cargo airline;[23] and Malaysia Airports, the Malaysian Airports operator and manager; are headquartered on the property of KLIA.[24] Malaysia Airlines also operates its Flight Management Building at KLIA.[25]

More information Terminal, Opened ...
Infrastructure
Terminal Opened Floor area Handling capacity Parking bays
Terminal 1
(Main Terminal Building 1 & Contact Pier)
27 June 1998 336,000 m2 (3,620,000 sq ft) 5 million passengers per year 20 (aerobridge)
23 (remote)
Terminal 1
(Satellite Terminal A)
27 June 1998 143,404 m2 (1,543,590 sq ft) 20 million passengers per year 26 (aerobridge)
15 (remote)
Terminal 2 1 May 2014 257,845 m2 (2,775,420 sq ft) 45 million passengers per year 68 (aerobridge)
10 (remote)
Bunga Raya Complex 27 June 1998
Total - 737,249 m2 (7,935,680 sq ft) 70 million passengers per year 114 (aerobridge)
48 (remote)
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Terminals

Kuala Lumpur International Airport comprises two main terminals: the original terminal, Terminal 1, previously known simply as "KLIA"; and the newer Terminal 2 (formerly KLIA2). Terminal 1 was designed by Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa, who also designed the Domestic Terminal (T2) at Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport, with an emphasis of natural lighting within the airport complex. Spanning 38.4m along a grid pattern allowing for future expansions, the abstract symbolic architecture by the late Kisho Kurokawa encompasses the Islamic geometry and cutting-edge technology with the tropical rainforest in mind.[26]

KLIA Terminal 1

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The check-in counters at KLIA Terminal 1. The roof structure was inspired by traditional Malay architecture.

Main Terminal Building

The KLIA Main Terminal Building (MTB) now also referred to as KLIA Main is located in between the two runways. The floor area of the terminal covers 390,000 m2 (4,200,000 sq ft) and the building consists of 39 square roof units, which enables future expansion of the building. There are a total of 216 check-in counters, located in 6 different islands, identified by the letters A – M (excluding I). Multi check-in services are available, designed for the use of all passengers arriving, departing or in transit. Self check in facilities are available in this airport since 2007,[27][28] and KLM was the first airline to use the Common-use self-service kiosks. The contact pier is an extension of the main terminal building with gates marked with prefix A and B for domestic departures, G and H for international flights. The gate allocation is based on operational requirements, although it has been observed that Malaysia Airlines has been operating most of its operations out from the contact pier.

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Malaysia Airlines at Contact Pier

Satellite Terminal A

The 176,000 square metres (1,890,000 sq ft) satellite building accommodates international flights departing and arriving at KLIA T1. Passengers taking flights parked at the satellite terminal are transported by bus from the main terminal; as of March 2023, the Aerotrain that connects this building with the main terminal has been suspended for repairs and rolling stock replacement.

There is a wide array of duty-free shops and prestige brand boutiques in the satellite building. This includes international brands such as Burberry, Harrods, Montblanc, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Hermes. Among all international labels available within the terminal, some boutiques such as Harrods are only available in the airport. A number of restaurants and international airlines' lounges are available as well as an Airside Transit Hotel.

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Interior of the Satellite Terminal

Within the terminal, wireless internet (Wi-Fi) is provided free of charge. The terminal also has prayer rooms, showers and massage service. Various lounge areas are provided, some including children's play areas and movie lounge, broadcasting movie and sport channels.[29] The terminal also features a natural rainforest in the middle of the terminal, exhibiting the Malaysian rainforests.

Under Malaysia Airports Berhad retail optimisation plan, the retail space in satellite terminal A will be further optimised to increase its revenue derived from commercial space rental and a percentage of sale receipts to 50% by year 2010 which currently stands at 35%. Some notable improvements that will be seen after the refurbishments will be the Jungle Boardwalk[30] which will be the first of its kind in the world and larger mezzanine floor to accommodate F&B outlets and viewing galleries.[31]

The gates in Satellite Terminal A have the prefix C. The Satellite A terminal has 27 boarding gates altogether.[32]

KL City Air Terminal

KL City Air Terminal, sometimes known as Kuala Lumpur City Air Terminal or KL CAT, located at KL Sentral, is a virtual extension of KL International Airport where city check-in services are provided. KL City Air Terminal is recognised by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and carries the IATA designation XKL. Currently there are only three airlines providing city check-in services: Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines and Batik Air Malaysia.[33]

KLIA Terminal 2 (formerly known as KLIA2)

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Bird's eye view of Terminal 2

Built at a cost of approximately RM4 billion, it is the largest purpose-built terminal optimised for low-cost carriers in response to the exponential growth of low-cost travel in the region. It was built to replace the previous Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT). KLIA T2 began its operations on 2 May 2014, and all flight operations at LCCT were moved to KLIA T2 by 9 May 2014.[34][35]

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Aircraft at Terminal 2

As part of its development, a third runway (Runway 15/33) and a new air traffic control tower (Tower West) were built to support its operation. KLIA T2 has an initial capacity of 45 million passengers per year. The terminal has a built-up area of 257,845 sqm with 68 departure gates, 10 remote stands, 80 aerobridges, includes a retail space of 32,000 sqm to accommodate a total of 220 retail outlets.[36] The main terminal building of KLIA T2 is connected with its satellite piers with a skybridge, making it the first airport in Asia with such facility.[37] KLIA T2 is certified with Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED).

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Terminal 2 main lobby with self check-in kiosks

Check-in counters are divided into 8 rows located in 4 islands, each row identified by the letters S – Z. Boarding gates are located in 5 piers, indicated by the letters J and K for domestic flights, and L, P and Q for international flights. Piers J, K and L are connected directly to the main terminal building, while Piers P and Q are accessible via the skybridge. Piers K and L are physically the same pier and share the same gates, but with waiting lounges on different levels (Level 1A for K and Level 2 for L). For international flights, the access door from Pier K is sealed off, while for domestic flights, the access door from Pier L is sealed off instead.[38][39]

At present, inter-terminal connection is provided on the landside at Gateway@klia2 complex and there are provisions for future airside inter-terminal connection.[40]

Gateway@klia2

Gateway@klia2 is an integrated shopping complex that is connected to the main KLIA T2 terminal building. It has a 350,000 square feet of net lettable space spanning over four levels. The transport hub at Gateway@klia2 links klia2 to the KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit service, with allotted pick-up and drop-off areas for coaches, taxis, rented vehicles and private transportation.[41]

Gateway@klia2 hosts an 8-storey car park that directly adjoins KLIA T2. There are 6,000 covered parking lots at Blocks A and B and another 5,500 lots at car park D (KLIA2 parking rate[42]). Shuttle buses are available to take the public from the car park D to the terminal.[43] The first capsule transit hotel in Asia, the Capsule by Container Hotel, is also located at Gateway@klia2. Gateway@klia2 is managed by WCT Holdings Berhad.[44]

Former Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT)

The now defunct 36,000 square metres (390,000 sq ft) low cost carrier terminal (LCCT) was opened at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on 23 March 2006 to cater for the growing number of users of low-cost airlines, especially the passengers of Malaysia's "no-frills" airline AirAsia. The terminal was designed and built in accordance to the low cost carrier business model, with limited terminal amenities. As requested by the low-cost airlines, the terminal did not provide aerobridges, nor were there transfer facilities, rail connections, and the other facilities provided in a fully fledged terminal. LCCT was located within the Air Support Zone; it ceased operations on 9 May 2014, and all low-cost carrier flights subsequently operated out of KLIA T2.[45]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

More information Airlines, Destinations ...
AirlinesDestinations
9 Air Guiyang[46]
AirAsia Ahmedabad,[47] Alor Setar, Amritsar,[48] Balikpapan,[49] Banda Aceh,[50] Bandar Seri Begawan, Bandung–Kertajati,[51] Bangkok–Don Mueang, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar,[52] Bintulu, Chennai, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai (begins 2 November 2024),[53] Colombo–Bandaranaike, Da Lat (resumes 1 November 2024),[54] Da Nang, Denpasar, Dhaka, Guangzhou,[55] Guilin,[56] Guwahati,[57] Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Hyderabad, Jaipur,[47] Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Jieyang, Johor Bahru,[58] Kaohsiung,[59] Kochi, Kolkata, Kota Bharu, Kota Kinabalu, Kozhikode,[60] Krabi, Kuala Terengganu, Kuching, Kunming,[55] Labuan, Labuan Bajo,[61] Langkawi, Lucknow,[62] Lombok, Macau,[55] Makassar, Malé, Manila, Medan, Miri, Nanning, Nha Trang,[63] Ningbo,[64] Padang, Pattaya,[65] Pekanbaru, Penang, Perth (resumes 6 December 2024),[66] Phnom Penh, Phuket, Phu Quoc,[63] Port Blair (begins 16 November 2024),[67] Quanzhou,[56] Sandakan, Shenzhen,[55] Sibu, Siem Reap,[68] Sihanoukville,[53] Singapore, Tawau, Thiruvananthapuram,[69] Tiruchirappalli, Vientiane,[70] Visakhapatnam,[71] Yangon, Yogyakarta–International
AirAsia Cambodia Phnom Penh[72]
AirAsia X Almaty, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi,[73] Beijing–Daxing,[74] Changsha,[75] Chengdu–Tianfu,[56] Chongqing,[76] Delhi,[77] Denpasar,[78] Gold Coast (ends 1 December 2024),[79] Hangzhou,[55] Hong Kong, Melbourne,[80] Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta (begins 15 November 2024),[81] Osaka–Kansai,[82] Perth,[80] Sapporo–Chitose, Seoul–Incheon, Shanghai–Pudong,[55] Sydney,[83] Taipei–Taoyuan,[84] Tokyo–Haneda, Xi'an[85]
Seasonal: Jeddah,[84] Kota Kinabalu (resumes 20 December 2024),[86] Kuching (resumes 20 December 2024)[86]
Air Arabia Sharjah[87]
Air China Beijing–Capital, Chengdu–Tianfu[88]
Air India Delhi[89]
Air Macau Macau[90]
Air Mauritius Mauritius
All Nippon Airways Tokyo–Haneda, Tokyo–Narita
Batik Air Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta,[91] Medan[92]
Batik Air Malaysia Alor Setar (resumes 5 December 2024),[93] Amritsar, Bangkok–Don Mueang, Batam,[94] Bengaluru,[95] Bintulu (begins 1 November 2024),[96] Brisbane,[97] Chengdu–Tianfu,[98] Da Nang,[99] Delhi, Denpasar, Dhaka, Dubai–International,[100] Guangzhou,[101] Guilin,[102] Guiyang,[103] Haikou, Hanoi, Hat Yai,[104] Hong Kong,[105] Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Jeddah,[106] Johor Bahru,[107] Kaohsiung,[108] Karachi,[109] Kathmandu, Kochi,[110] Kota Bharu,[111] Kota Kinabalu, Krabi,[104] Kuching, Kunming,[94] Lahore, Langkawi, Lombok,[112] Malé, Medan,[113] Medina, Melbourne,[114] Miri (resumes 14 January 2025),[96][115] Mumbai, Nagoya–Centrair,[116] Naha,[117] Nanchang, Osaka–Kansai (ends 7 December 2024),[118]Penang, Perth, Phuket,[119] Qionghai,[120] Sandakan (begins 1 December 2024),[96] Seoul–Incheon,[121] Sibu,[122] Singapore, Surabaya,[123] Sydney,[124] Taipei–Taoyuan,[125] Tashkent,[126] Tawau,[122] Tiruchirappalli, Tokyo–Narita,[127] Zhangjiajie,[128] Zhengzhou[98]
Biman Bangladesh Airlines Dhaka
British Airways London–Heathrow (resumes 1 April 2025)[129]
Cambodia Airways Phnom Penh[130]
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong[131]
Cebu Pacific Manila
China Airlines Taipei–Taoyuan
China Eastern Airlines Beijing–Daxing,[132] Hangzhou,[133] Kunming,[134] Nanjing,[135] Shanghai–Pudong, Wuhan,[136] Yantai[137]
China Southern Airlines Changsha,[138] Guangzhou, Shenzhen,[139] Zhengzhou[140]
Citilink Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta
Emirates Dubai–International
Ethiopian Airlines Addis Ababa, Singapore[141]
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi
EVA Air Taipei–Taoyuan
Firefly Haikou, Penang[142]
Garuda Indonesia Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta
Himalaya Airlines Kathmandu
IndiGo Chennai
Indonesia AirAsia Denpasar, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Lombok, Medan, Surabaya
Iraqi Airways Baghdad[143]
Japan Airlines Tokyo–Narita
Jetstar Asia Singapore[144]
KLM Amsterdam, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta[145]
Korean Air Seoul–Incheon
Loong Air Hangzhou[146]
Lucky Air Lijiang[147]
Malaysia Airlines Adelaide, Ahmedabad,[148] Alor Setar, Amritsar,[149] Auckland, Balikpapan,[150] Bandung–Kertajati (ends 22 October 2024, resumes 2 January 2025) [151] Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Beijing–Daxing, Bengaluru, Bintulu, Chennai, Chiang Mai,[152] Colombo–Bandaranaike, Da Nang,[152] Delhi, Denpasar, Dhaka, Doha,[153] Guangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Hyderabad, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Jeddah, Johor Bahru,[154] Kathmandu, Kochi, Kolkata (resumes 2 December 2024),[155] Kota Bharu, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Terengganu, Kuantan, Kuching, Labuan, Langkawi, London–Heathrow, Makassar,[156] Malé,[152] Manila, Medan, Medina, Melbourne, Miri, Mumbai, Osaka–Kansai, Paris–Charles de Gaulle (resumes 22 March 2025),[157] Pekanbaru, Penang, Perth, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Sandakan, Sapporo–Chitose,[158] Seoul–Incheon, Shanghai–Pudong, Sibu, Singapore, Surabaya, Sydney, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tawau, Thiruvananthapuram,[148] Tokyo–Narita, Xiamen,[159] Yangon, Yogyakarta–International[160]
Myanmar Airways International Yangon
Nepal Airlines Kathmandu
Seasonal: Bhairahawa[161]
Oman Air Muscat
Pakistan International Airlines Islamabad,[162] Lahore[citation needed]
Philippine Airlines Manila
Philippines AirAsia Manila (ends 21 October 2024)[163]
Qatar Airways Doha
Qingdao Airlines Qingdao[164]
Royal Brunei Airlines Bandar Seri Begawan
Saudia Jeddah, Medina
Scoot Singapore
Shanghai Airlines Shanghai–Pudong[165]
Shenzhen Airlines Shenzhen
Sichuan Airlines Chengdu–Tianfu,[166]
Singapore Airlines Singapore
SriLankan Airlines Colombo–Bandaranaike
Starlux Airlines Taipei–Taoyuan[167][168]
Super Air Jet Banda Aceh,[169] Padang,[170] Pekanbaru
Thai AirAsia Bangkok–Don Mueang, Hat Yai
Thai Airways International Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi
TransNusa Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta[171]
Turkish Airlines Istanbul, Sydney (begins 28 November 2024)[172]
Turkmenistan Airlines Ashgabat[173]
US-Bangla Airlines Dhaka
Uzbekistan Airways Tashkent
VietJet Air Hanoi (begins 28 November 2024),[174] Ho Chi Minh City[175]
Vietnam Airlines Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City
XiamenAir Chongqing,[176] Fuzhou, Xiamen
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Cargo

Statistics

Annual passenger traffic at KUL airport. See Wikidata query.
More information Rank, Airport ...
Busiest international routes (2023)[186]
RankAirportPassengers% change
2022/23
1 Singapore3,601,340Increase 52.0
2 Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta1,892,344Increase 113.0
3 Denpasar1,370,621Increase 140.7
4 Bangkok–Don Mueang1,310,132Increase 161.6
5 Taipei–Taoyuan987,063Increase 610.5
6 Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi965,131Increase 82.3
7 Ho Chi Minh City861,760Increase 102.2
8 Dhaka859,679Increase 52.5
9 Jeddah771,174Increase 38.9
10 Medan769,006Increase 146.1
11 Dubai–International726,389Increase 161.0
12 Hong Kong704,699Increase 575.1
13 Phuket702,317Increase 179.3
14 Manila690,335Increase 94.2
15 Seoul–Incheon638,026Increase 182.6
16 Guangzhou622,384Increase 1,583.3
17 Surabaya609,261Increase 156.2
18 Doha606,041Increase 31.4
19 Chennai573,338Increase 76.2
20 Perth561,975Increase 250.5
21 Sydney545,376Increase 142.1
22 Melbourne534,425Increase 117.9
23 Tokyo–Narita482,519Increase 115.6
24 Kathmandu448,823Increase 23.8
25 Delhi424,349Increase 119.7
26 Phnom Penh387,576Increase 100.1
27 Hanoi380,280Increase 215.7
28 Colombo368,744Increase 130.4
29 Tokyo–Haneda365,818Increase 830.1
30 London–Heathrow362,392Increase 40.5
31 Shanghai–Pudong361,750Increase 2,992.9
32 Tiruchirappalli352,851Increase 50.8
33 Istanbul351,279Increase 55.7
34 Da Nang323,195Increase 267.2
35 Osaka–Kansai318,767Increase 719.8
36 Medina295,762Increase 21.0
37 Bandar Seri Begawan271,942Increase 88.5
38 Kochi264,586Increase 158.1
39 Shenzhen261,419Increase 22,320.2
40 Pekanbaru258,023Increase 923.8
41 Mumbai249,036Increase 127.1
42 Padang241,217Increase 1,247.2
43 Auckland228,205Increase 185.3
44 Bengaluru223,596Increase 95.5
45 Abu Dhabi223,566Increase 43.5
46 Hyderabad218,617Increase 120.2
47 Krabi214,838Increase 358.0
48 Yogyakarta210,533Increase 493.5
49 Yangon201,072Increase 37.5
50 Muscat185,340Increase 95.8
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More information Rank, Airport ...
Busiest domestic routes (2022)[187]
RankAirportPassengers% change
2021/22
1Sabah Kota Kinabalu, Sabah2,171,604Increase 306.6
2Sarawak Kuching, Sarawak1,756,964Increase 489.2
3Kedah Langkawi, Kedah1,471,511Increase 185.9
4Penang Penang, Penang1,044,895Increase 480.0
5Kelantan Kota Bharu, Kelantan784,586Increase 206.9
6Sabah Tawau, Sabah750,998Increase 261.5
7Sarawak Miri, Sarawak528,918Increase 503.9
8Sarawak Sibu, Sarawak493,929Increase 594.4
9Terengganu Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu415,291Increase 343.0
10Johor Johor Bahru, Johor337,289Increase 439.6
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More information Year, Passengers handled ...
Operational statistics of Kuala Lumpur International Airport[186]
Year Passengers
handled
Passenger
% change
Cargo
(tonnes)
Cargo
% change
Aircraft
movements
Aircraft
% change
19986,524,405Steady156,641Steady64,123Steady
199913,172,635Increase 101.9417,068Increase 166.3116,589Increase 81.8
200014,732,876Increase 11.8510,594Increase 22.4109,925Decrease 5.7
200114,538,831Decrease 1.3440,864Decrease 13.6113,590Increase 3.3
200216,398,230Increase 12.8527,124Increase 19.6127,952Increase 12.6
200317,454,564Increase 6.4586,195Increase 11.2139,947Increase 9.4
200421,058,572Increase 20.6651,747Increase 11.2165,115Increase 18.0
200523,213,926Increase 10.2653,654Increase 0.3182,537Increase 10.5
200624,129,748Increase 4.0672,888Increase 3.0183,869Increase 0.7
200726,453,379Increase 9.6644,100Decrease 4.3193,710Increase 5.3
200827,529,355Increase 4.1649,077Increase 0.8211,228Increase 9.0
200929,682,093Increase 7.8584,559Decrease 10.0226,751Increase 7.3
201034,087,636Increase 14.8674,902Increase 15.4245,650Increase 8.3
201137,704,510Increase 10.6669,849Decrease 0.7269,509Increase 9.7
201239,887,866Increase 5.8673,107Increase 0.5283,352Increase 5.1
201347,498,157Increase 19.1680,982Increase 1.2326,678Increase 15.3
201448,930,409Increase 3.0753,899Increase 10.7340,821Increase 4.3
201548,938,424Steady 0.0726,230Decrease 3.7354,519Increase 4.0
201652,643,511Increase 7.6642,558Decrease 11.5356,614Increase 0.6
201758,554,627Increase 11.2710,186Increase 10.5387,234Increase 8.6
201859,988,409Increase 2.4714,669Increase 0.6399,827Increase 3.3
201962,336,469Increase 3.9687,240Decrease 3.8407,315Increase 2.1
202013,156,363Decrease 78.9505,183Decrease 26.5124,529Decrease 69.4
20214,011,836Decrease 69.5660,039Increase 30.773,673Decrease 40.8
202225,399,296Increase 533.1684,459Increase 3.7198,302Increase 169.2
202347,224,000Increase 85.9660,040Decrease 3.6319,026Increase 60.9
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More information Rank, Country ...
Total passenger movements by countries (2018)[188]
RankCountryPassengers movement% change
2017 / 18
1 Indonesia7,792,194Increase 6.2
2 China4,703,041Increase 8.4
3 Thailand4,212,887Decrease 1.3
4 Singapore4,097,000Increase 0.3
5 India3,250,736Increase 7.7
6 Australia2,343,155Decrease 8.7
7 Vietnam1,983,727Increase 8.7
8 Hong Kong1,580,320Decrease 0.3
9 Japan1,503,733Increase 1.0
10 South Korea1,302,689Increase 32.2
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More information Rank, Airlines ...
Largest airlines by passengers (2018)[188]
RankAirlinesPassengers carried% market
share
1AirAsia22,749,73737.9
2Malaysia Airlines13,403,93122.3
3AirAsia X5,643,5389.4
4Malindo Air4,438,3207.4
5Indonesia AirAsia1,269,3682.1
6Emirates861,2351.4
7Cathay Dragon722,0291.2
8Saudia565,7680.9
9SilkAir565,1580.9
10Lion Air534,4060.9
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More information Rank, Airport ...
Busiest international freight routes (2018)[188]
RankAirportFreight
(tonnes)
% change
2017 / 18
1 Hong Kong50,378Decrease 11.3
2 Taipei–Taoyuan34,800Increase 11.7
3 Seoul–Incheon31,708Increase 0.5
4 Shanghai–Pudong30,394Decrease 16.4
5 Singapore29,711Decrease 2.6
6 Tokyo–Narita28,584Increase 9.2
7 Doha24,177Decrease 5.9
8 Melbourne23,818Increase 3.8
9 Sydney22,464Increase 3.0
10 Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi19,960Increase 15.9
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Ground transportation

Inter-terminal transportation

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Aerotrain station in Satellite Building

The Aerotrain, currently out of service for repairs, is an automated people mover (APM) that connects the airside of KLIA Main Terminal Building (MTB) and the Satellite Building. Each 250-person capacity train can transport 3,000 passengers per hour in each direction at up to 56 km/h (35 mph). These three-car driverless trains run on elevated rail and under the taxiways. The journey takes under two minutes. The Aerotrain operates between three and five-minute intervals between terminal. Automatic train controls manage the operation of the entire Aerotrain system, controlling the speeds, headways, stops and door openings in stations, and integrating functions that enhance the reliability and performance of the system.[189]

No airside connection currently exists between the Main Terminal Building and Terminal 2; connecting passengers must clear Malaysian immigration and customs checks before taking a landside transportation option (Express Rail Link, bus or taxi).

External connections

Rail

Kuala Lumpur International Airport is linked to the KL Sentral transportation hub in the city centre by the 57 km (35 mi) long Express Rail Link (ERL). There are two ERL stations at the airport: KLIA station at the Main Terminal Building and klia2 station at Gateway@klia2.

Bus

Kuala Lumpur International Airport has bus terminals in both KLIA and KLIA2 building which serves local buses, city express and intercity express buses to various destination in Kuala Lumpur, Klang Valley and also various parts of Peninsular Malaysia, as well as shuttles between KLIA and KLIA2, terminals to Long Term Car Park and terminals to Mitsui Outlet Park. KLIA bus terminal is located on Ground Floor, Block C and KLIA 2 bus terminal is located on Level 1 of the terminal. Ticketing counters are present in the terminals.

Buses to the Kuala Lumpur city mainly goes to KL Sentral railway station and Integrated Southern Terminal bus terminal (TBS), both a prominent transport hub of Kuala Lumpur, as well as various other places like Pudu Sentral, Jalan Ipoh and Jalan Pekeliling Terminal. There are also buses to parts of other Klang Valley cities like Shah Alam (Section 17 terminal), Klang (AEON Bukit Tinggi) as well as Putra Heights LRT station. Popular providers are Aerobus, Airport Coach and Jetbus.

Intercity services are available to Penang, Ipoh, Yong Peng (central Johor), Johor Bahru, Malacca and Sitiawan (Perak). Local buses are also available to Nilai and Banting, with SmartSelangor free shuttle available to Banting, Tanjung Sepat and Salak Tinggi.

Car

Kuala Lumpur International Airport is mainly served by tolless KLIA Expressway (Federal Route 26) which is an 11 kilometre direct road from KLIA Interchange of ELITE Expressway (E6) to both KLIA and KLIA2. The expressway also has connection to:

  • KLIA Outer Ring Road (Federal 27) to KLIA mosque and Sepang International Circuit
  • Labohan Dagang–Nilai Road (Federal 32) to Banting, Nilai and Salak Tinggi

The further end of the expressway leads to tolled ELITE Expressway, which connects it to the PLUS expressway networks (E1 North-South Expressway-North, E1 New Klang Valley Expressway and E2 North-South Expressway-South) which links to most of Klang Valley's major townships and further to Peninsular Malaysia's west coast states, to the extent of the border with Thailand and Singapore.

Expansion and developments

Plans

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KLIA Aeropolis Masterplan

With the slight modification of the masterplan, the future Terminal 2's satellite terminal will be combined into one satellite terminal. The expansion of Terminal 2's satellite terminal will be exactly the same as Terminal 1's (the current Main Terminal) satellite terminal, where initially the satellite terminal will have four arms, and another four arms when the terminal reached its capacity. There is sufficient land and capacity to develop facilities to handle up to 97.5 million passengers a year, four runways by 2020 and two mega-terminals, each linked with satellite terminals.[7]

More information Phase, Year ...
Summary of Kuala Lumpur International Airport Masterplan
PhaseYearDescription
Phase 11998Initial capacity of 25 million passengers per annum
2006Capable of handling 35 million passengers per annum with the construction of Low Cost Carrier Terminal
Phase 22008Expansion of Low Cost Carrier Terminal to accommodate 40 million passengers per annum
Phase 32011New Low Cost Carrier Terminal will be constructed to accommodate additional 30 million (55 million) passengers per annum, Current Low Cost Carrier Terminal converted to cargo usage.
Not fixedSatellite Terminal B will be constructed to handle a maximum of 75 million passengers. (One terminal accompanied by 2 satellite terminal and one low-cost carrier terminal.)
Phase 4Not fixedTerminal 2 and Satellite Terminal C will be constructed so that the airport can handle 97.5 million passengers.
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A380 upgrades

The operator of Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad, had spent about RM135 million (approx) to upgrade facilities at the KL International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang to accommodate the Airbus A380. KLIA is the only airport in Malaysia that accommodate the landing and take off of the A380. Upgrading works started on 3 April 2006, and was completed by 28 May 2007. Works include the provision of shoulders on both sides of the two existing runways of 15 meters as well as the taxiways, building additional aerobridges at the three departure halls, namely C17, C27 and C37, and enhancing the mezzanine lounges for upper deck passengers of the aircraft at the departure halls. Emirates is the only current operator of the Airbus A380 to Kuala Lumpur; its services commenced on 1 January 2012.[190] Malaysia Airlines started its A380 services from Kuala Lumpur to London on 1 July 2012 before retiring the aircraft type at the end of 2018.[191]

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Panoramic view of Main Terminal Building and Contact Pier

References

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