SEPANG: "Good… faster than before," was how Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim described his ride on the newly upgraded KLIA Aerotrain during a walkabout at Terminal 1 of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA1) on Tuesday (July 1).
Anwar arrived at the terminal at 1pm, accompanied by Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) managing director Datuk Mohd Izani Ghani and senior MAHB officials.
The Prime Minister tested the enhanced Aerotrain service firsthand, travelling from the Contact Pier to the Satellite Building, where he received a briefing on the system's upgrades under MAHB's Airport Regeneration Plan.
The driverless train service resumed full operations this morning following a RM456mil upgrade under MAHB's RM742mil transformation initiative aimed at future-proofing KLIA as a premier regional aviation hub.
An iconic feature of KLIA since its opening in 1998, the Aerotrain now features Alstom Innovia APM 300R trainsets. Each three-car unit can accommodate up to 270 passengers and travel at speeds of up to 56km per hour, reducing travel time between the main terminal and the satellite terminal to under three minutes.
With advanced condition monitoring systems, the new trains are designed to minimise service disruptions, enhance operational efficiency and improve passenger comfort.
According to Mohd Izani, the upgraded system underwent six months of rigorous testing and commissioning by the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) from January to June this year, including extensive technical and safety assessments.
KLIA Terminal 1 currently records over 100,000 passenger movements daily. The Aerotrain remains a vital link, especially for international transit passengers connecting through the satellite terminal, which hosts most of the airport's long-haul carriers.
With operations now fully restored, MAHB said the upgraded Aerotrain system will boost KLIA's readiness for growing passenger traffic ahead of Visit Malaysia Year 2026 and support its full recovery to pre-pandemic levels. – Bernama
