M'sia Airports: Disruption at KLIA due to network failure, equipment replaced

SEPANG (Bernama): Malaysia Airports has identified network failure as the cause of the disruption at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

As part of steps taken to resolve the problem, Malaysia Airports said they had replaced the network equipment and it was currently being tested and closely monitored for stability.

Malaysia Airports group chief executive officer Raja Azmi Raja Nazuddin said since the replacement of the network equipment, there had been progress in network stability.

"Critical systems at KLIA main terminal are now mostly up and running.

"Nevertheless, we have adopted a cautious approach and will remain vigilant as we are still experiencing some intermittent issues," he said in a statement today.

The systems disruption since Wednesday night (Aug 21) has affected key functions such as the WiFi connection, flight information display system, check-in counters and the baggage handling system.

Scores of flights were delayed as a result. As at 10pm yesterday, there were 68 delayed flights.

Raja Azmi said KLIA's main terminal was still experiencing some delays but the situation was improving. He said systems at KLIA2 were generally not affected at present.

"Credit should go to the whole airport community for rallying together in facing this challenge.

"We have never seen better cooperation among airlines who are all helping one another so that flight operations can continue, ” he said.

Raja Azmi said there had been flight delays and cancellations, but they were managing the issue by utilising all 38 aircraft remote bays, as well as providing additional buses and ground handling services for the airlines to facilitate passenger movements at these remote bays.

He said other airports nationwide would also continue to extend their operating hours in the event that there were delayed departing flights from KLIA.

"While our focus remains on ensuring the continuous availability of the systems, we are also extending all possible assistance to the airlines and passengers, ” he said.

Raja Azmi said Malaysia Airports has deployed 1,000 additional staff to assist passengers on the ground and to help with the manual sorting of baggage.

"We are also working very closely with the airlines to ensure that bags are delivered to their rightful owners.

"The additional manpower will remain in place until the situation is back to normal," he said.

"We deeply regret the inconvenience that has been caused. While the situation is improving, we would still urge passengers to arrive at the terminal at least four hours prior to departure in the next few days” said Raja Azmi.

Passengers are also encouraged to continue using their respective airlines’ mobile apps or websites to check in to avoid long queues at the airport, and to reach out to airport staff for assistance for further information regarding flight details. – Bernama