ICAO okays KLIA2's safety standards

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a specialised agency of the United Nations that provides standards, regulations and procedures for international aviation, has certified that KLIA2 has met its safety standards.

In announcing this today, Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the iconic national project had complied with ICAO's international standards.

"I like to announce today that a report by ICAO has confirmed that KLIA2 is safe. The report was tabled in the Cabinet yesterday," Hishammuddin told reporters after witnessing the handing over ceremony of klia2's Air Traffic Control Tower by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd to the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) here on Thursday.

He said the airport would still carry on operation readiness and transfer until the end of April although the certificate of completion and compliance was issued on April 18.

Hishammuddin hinted that KLIA2 would probably be officially opened a month after its soft opening on May 2.

"I indicated that we will do that (official launching) in a month probably on June 2 and that is quite normal (timeline) but what is more important is I want everything to be operational from day one," he added.

Meanwhile, DCA Director-General Datuk Azharuddin Abdul Rahman announced that KLIA2 has set a new aircraft landing and take off procedure.

"All airlines have to comply with this new procedure that we have designed and the airlines have taken note of it a month ago," he said, adding that the first aircraft is expected to land on the morning (12.01am) of May 2.

Azharuddin said KLIA2 has marked a new milestones with the introduction of the third runaway.

"We are the first in Asean to have a three runaway system," he said.

Earlier, guests and journalists watched the simultaneous landing of two Malaysia Airlines aircraft, MH402 and MH604, on runway two and runway three of KLIA2.

"This will become our normal procedure and it will enable us to increase the number of aircraft that land and take off from KLIA2," he said.

This is a historic event and milestone for our aviation industry, he added.

MAHB Managing Director Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad said on KLIA2's first day of operations, there would be 56 movements (arrival and take off).

"While from May 9 onwards, when Airasia begins operations at KLIA2, we may have about 400 movements day," he added.