Thursday March 12, 2009

The new RM2bil Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT), which is slated for completion by the second half of 2011, is expected to handle about 30 million passengers a year from about 15 million currently.

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Bashir Ahmad said the airport operator had managed to find a location and would be announcing it at a later date.

He said the new LCCT would be near the main terminal. "It is a very good location," he said after the launch of AirAsia X's inaugural flight to London. AirAsia Bhd and Sime Darby Bhd's proposal to build a new LCCT costing RM1.6bil in Labu, Negri Sembilan, was rejected by the Government last month.

On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced in the mini budget that MAHB would build and operate a new LCCT at the KL International Airport at an estimated cost of RM2bil.

In an email reply to StarBiz yesterday, Bashir said: "We are pleased that the Government has confirmed that the new LCCT will be built and operated by MAHB.

"This is in line with the National Airport Masterplan that had been developed together with all the relevant Government agencies and the airlines which had been presented to the Government." He said the full details on the location and the financing of the LCCT would be announced soon.

Commenting on the 50% rebate for landing charges, Bashir said it was an excellent move. He said MAHB had been discussing with airlines on how best to support the airlines during this difficult period.

Based on these discussions MAHB had recommended to the Government that a 50% rebate be given for a period of two years for all airlines flying into all airports in Malaysia.

This article is a verbatim copy of the original article from The Star.