MAHB assures no more delay for klia2

Malaysia Airports Holding Bhd (MAHB), the country's airport operator, assured that there will be no further delays for the launch of the RM4 billion klia2 -- which is scheduled to open on May 2, 2014.

klia2, the airport terminal with the capacity to cater to 45 million passengers, will come with 68 boarding gates, fully automated baggage system, aerobridge, a new control tower, and a 4km runway.

The RM4 billion price tag is inclusive of government facilities and infrastructure such as control tower, elevated highway, ERL platform and utilities amounting to RM600 million.

"MAHB would like to reiterate that there is no 'cost overrun' in the construction as any increase in cost is due to an increase in scope to cater to the stakeholders' requirements.

"The cost of RM4 billion commensurates the increase in scope and facilities of klia2," said the company in a statement today.

The statement by MAHB is expected to help address the sceptism on the contractors' ability to complete the terminal on time. An English daily early this month reported that the terminal "appeared to be only about 60 per cent completed".

Meanwhile, MAHB said that klia2 has undergone some major changes in scope in order to address the requirements of all airport users and stakeholders. These changes include the increase in the terminal floor space from 150,000sqm to 257,000sqm, land area from 4.84 million sqm to 11.19 million sqm, runway length from 2.5km to 4km, boarding gates from 55 to 68, among others.