AirAsia to Move to KKIA1 in December and Not November

22nd Oct 2015

Malaysian Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said in an interview today that AirAsia has been allowed to stay for an extra month at Kota Kinabalu’s Terminal 2. This way, the low-cost airline will move to KKIA T1 in December this year.

Initially, the Transport Ministry asked Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad to move all low-cost carriers and services from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 in one month (1st November was given as the original deadline).

Minister Liow said the extension was granted to AirAsia despite MAHB announcing last month that the carrier will have to move its operation from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 in November.

Speaking in Dewan Rakyat, Liow said:

Several meetings were held between the ministry, Department of Civil Aviation, MAHB and AirAsia on the transfer and we have decided Dec 1 as the new date for them to begin operation in Terminal 1.

Only Appropriate for AirAsia to Move to Terminal 1, Says Deputy Transport Minister Kaprawi

During the Q&A, Deputy Transport Minister Aziz Kaprawi said it is only appropriate that AirAsia shifts its operations as soon as possible since the terminal it is at right now has exceeded its capacity. Terminal 2 has a capacity of 2 million passengers per year, but last year the number was of registered passengers was 3.6 million.

Kaprawi said:                                        

The Terminal 1 capacity is about nine million but [utilisation] is currently only about three million. If AirAsia moves to the new terminal, the utilisation would expand to 6.7 million. So there is still room for expansion for the airline.

AirAsia Declined Moving to Terminal 1 before, Saying it Could Not Accomkodate its Operations

AirAsia was asked to relocate to Terminal 1 in 2011, with the deadline given being 1^st August this year. However, the airline refused to do so until now, saying that KKIA Terminal 1 could not accommodate its future plans of bringing additional jets and its long-haul affiliate carrier AirAsia X.

The company remained the sole operator at Terminal 2. Meanwhile, 14 carriers are operating from Terminal 1.