WATER LEAKAGE AT KLIA TERMINAL 1 CAUSED BY CONTRACTOR ERROR DURING ROOFING WORKS

SEPANG - KLIA has completed its review of the water leakage incident at Terminal 1 on 14 November 2025. The incident occurred during active roof restoration and waterproofing works on the main terminal building - part of ongoing maintenance to address aging infrastructure.

The roofing contractor was conducting scheduled sealing works on drainage points when lightning activity intensified across the KLIA area. In line with safety protocols, work was immediately suspended and the team evacuated the rooftop. In their haste to vacate due to the severe weather conditions, the contractor failed to remove plywood used to cover drainage points for safety, leaving one of the roof drainage systems obstructed. 

When exceptionally heavy rainfall followed, the blocked drainage prevented water from flowing off the roof as designed. This resulted in large volumes of water accumulating on the rooftop, which subsequently leaked through the terminal ceiling into the departure hall. 

Response teams cleared and secured the affected areas within 1.5 hours, and all systems resumed normal operations safely. 

The contractor’s failure to remove the plywood covering as a required process is the direct cause of the severe leakage. This is an unacceptable lapse in basic work procedures that falls below the standards expected of contractors working on critical airport infrastructure. 

KLIA is held to the highest standards by the travelling public, and we are committed to holding our contractors and partners to those same standards. KLIA is taking decisive action with the contractor to address this poor performance. 

We are also working with the contractor to institute immediate improvements to their work procedures, including mandatory consultation of meteorological forecasts prior to commencing rooftop works, and strengthened contingency protocols for immediate work suspensions during severe weather. 

The roofing works are part of a year-long project that commenced in April 2025 to restore and waterproof the main terminal roof, forming a key component of Malaysia Airports' broader infrastructure renewal programme.