Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) today released a series of slides on its website, providing statistics to justify the expansion of KLIA2 and prove that the expansion is in accordance with the projection made by AirAsia.

According to the statistics, AirAsia forecasts its annual passenger load to hit 45.3 million by 2020, from 28.7 million in 2015, with the volume expected to exceed 60 million by 2025.

This is in contrast with MAHB's projection for LCCT, which is slightly more than 30 million passengers and about 25 million for KLIA's main terminal building (MTB).

AirAsia chief executive officer Tony Fernandes has criticised MAHB for upgrading the passenger capacity of KLIA2, which will replace the present Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT), from 30 million to 45 million.

Several other upgrades to the facilities are also to be made, resulting in its total cost to double from RM2 billion to a staggering RM3.9 billion.

"American Airlines just gone bankruptcy. And Malaysian airports spend RM3.9 billion. I'm sure that's not the final figure," Fernandes had posted on micro-blogging site Twitter .

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Airlines requested for upgrades'

However, MAHB, in its slides, without naming AirAsia, listed the upgraded facilities which it claimed were based on "airlines request".

The requests include:

  • 45 million passenger capacity;
  • 68 contact stands and eight remote stands;
  • Substantially enhanced comfort level;
  • Fully automated baggage handling system;
  • 4km runaway, with a 2.2km separation from Runway 2;
  • Provisions for A380 plane operations;
  • Tune Hotel;
  • Air Transit Hotel;
  • Premium lounges;
  • AirAsia head office with apron access;
  • AirAsia staff multi-level parking; and
  • Hub for public transport for ERL, taxis, buses, and in future, KTM.

Once completed, the airport is expected to be the world's largest low-cost terminal.

Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua had pointed out that if the cost of KLIA2 had not skyrocketed so drastically, MAHB may not need to increase airport taxes by 28 percent.

The increase has placed AirAsia on collision course with the MAHB, after it launched a campaign against the airport operator by opposing the tax hike on its passengers.

why a bigger klia2 is needed