Wednesday March 18, 2009
By IZWAN IDRIS

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) aims to recoup the RM123.9mil spent on expanding the existing low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT) in two years on the back of higher passenger traffic growth, said senior general manager (operations) Datuk Azmi Murad.

The airport operator is projecting passenger traffic at the LCCT, located at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), to hit 15 million in 2011, up from 10.1 million in 2008.

"We are projecting a 30% growth in passenger traffic at the LCCT this year, largely from the international side," Azmi told reporters during a tour of the new LCCT international departure hall yesterday.

The expanded terminal, which had doubled in size, also has more retail space and new facilities to cater for bigger aircraft.

Senior General Manager (operation) MAHB Datuk Azmi Murad during media tour at the new LCCT International Departure at Sepang on Tuesday, 17 March 2009. Looking on is General Manager of KLIA Daud Hasnan – Starpic by Rohaizat bin Mohd Darus

MAHB derives its income from passenger service tax, rentals of commercial space and aeronautical fees charged to airlines.

Last year, international travellers accounted for 50%, or 5.08 million passengers, at the LCCT.

The number is expected to increase this year as AirAsia X increases its capacity. The expanded LCCT is expected to hit full capacity by 2011.

By then, a new permanent LCCT, also at KLIA, is supposed to be operational, which has the capacity to handle 45 million passengers a year.

The present LCCT will then be reverted to its original role as a cargo handling terminal.

"We can no longer expand at the present site due to space constraints," Azmi said.

The LCCT was originally constructed at a cost of RM108mil in 2005, with later upgrades costing more than the original cost of building it as the LCCT doubled in size, which included a new RM45mil baggage handling system.

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