PETALING JAYA: For some passengers arriving at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 1 (KLIA T1) on Saturday, they had to endure an extra few hours at the terminal to retrieve their baggage.
What was supposed to be a usual routine of collecting their checked-in luggage and leaving the airport soon stretched into hours of waiting as the baggage handling system had malfunctioned.
For one traveller, it turned out to be an almost three-hour wait.
“Some were frustrated, angry, tired and hungry, and honestly, there was very little anyone could do except continue assisting, calming, and explaining the situation alongside the airport crew.”
“Operational challenges can happen anywhere, but communication, crowd management, and passenger care make all the difference,” said social media user Elle Soffon in a Facebook post late Saturday evening.
The traveller, who had just touched down from Fuzhou in China, said that passengers were given a bottle of mineral water.
Another user who goes by the handle Kenc Low described the crowded area and said that the waiting time to collect baggage exceeded an hour.
“I had dinner at the lounge upon arrival, and upon coming out, the luggage was still nowhere to be seen,” he said in a Facebook post.
On Threads, user ghafur_mustakim raised the matter, saying that people had waited for more than two hours.
“The collection area was completely packed with arriving passengers,” he said.
Another user who goes by the profile abamjamkuning described the situation as rather confusing.
“We waited four hours for the luggage to arrive. At one point, it stated Belt G and the next, it was Belt A,” he said.
In a statement later on Saturday evening, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) said a power disruption at an external power station caused temporary interruptions to the baggage handling system, resulting in delays at the baggage claim.
“We understand the frustration, especially for those who experienced longer waiting times.
“To ease congestion, passengers were allowed to leave and return later to collect their bags, with updates provided throughout. The system has since been restored,” said MAHB.
Yesterday, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) confirmed that operations at KLIA T1 have stabilised.
As the aviation regulator, CAAM said it had exercised strict oversight of the recovery process and continues to engage with MAHB and airlines to ensure full operational stabilisation and compliance with all applicable safety and service standards.
“MAHB is obligated to comply with the established Quality of Service standards, including the timely and efficient handling of passenger baggage, among others,” it said in a statement.
“CAAM is also enforcing compliance with these requirements and will take appropriate regulatory and enforcement actions in the event of any non-compliance.
“MAHB is also required to implement the necessary corrective and preventive measures to avoid recurrence,” it added.
