KLIA 2 opening date on June 28, 2013

The KLIA 2 official opening date was set to June 28, 2013, as the Malaysian Prime Minister wants any teething problems to be settled first instead of rushing the May date the same year as initially planned.

This will also be the date that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has chosen for the launch of the new Budget Terminal KLIA2 or the new low-cost airport as he wants it to coincide with the date the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) was launched in 1998.

KLIA2 Opening Date

The Malaysian Prime Minister gave a press conference as he attending a function for the launch of AirAsia’s 1Malaysia aircraft livery to commemorate the start of the 1Malaysia Integration Program with the budget airline.

He mentioned that he was excited about AirAsia’s plan to provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience for those who had never flown before, by giving them free flights for a limited time. The free flights are for those involved in the AirAsia 1Malaysia Integration Program.

Managing Director of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad welcomed the decision by the PM not to rush the launch saying that it was crucial that as many issues as possible were sorted out before officially opening the budget airport.

He also mentioned “We do not want to rush. I think the prime minister has the same thought in mind. We have seen many airports worldwide fail because they were rushed into operations.”

The RM3.6 billion KLIA2, built to cater for the explosive growth expected in low-cost travel, is sprawled over 257,000 sq meters and is envisaged to handle a maximum of 45 million passengers a year,

This is also well in line with the anticipated growth from AirAsia, other local carriers and new budget carrier Malindo Airlines.

The new airport in Malaysia will have 60 gates, 80 aerobridges, eight remote stands, a retail space covering 32,000 sq meters to accommodate 225 retail outlets.

The new airport is located 1.5km away from KLIA while a rail extension is being constructed to connect KLIA to KLIA2.

Final Thoughts on the KLIA2 Opening Date

As for previous news on the opening, it was stated that the new budget terminal would initially open in May 2013.

However, it was confirmed by the Malaysian Prime Minister on the 6th January that the new KLIA2 opening date is set on June 28, 2013.

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