MAHB ADDRESSES SERVICE DISRUPTIONS, HOLDS CONTRACTORS ACCOUNTABLE

SEPANG – Malaysia Airports is working closely with the Ministry of Transport and the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD), on a review into the recent Aerotrain service disruption at KL International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1. KLIA is providing APAD with complete technical documentation and data, including those related to service incidents since the Aerotrain system’s commissioning on 1 July 2025.

Since entering service, there have been three incidents i.e. on 12 July, 3 September, and 15 October, where the Aerotrain service was temporarily halted and passengers were escorted to the terminal in accordance with our safety protocols. None of these incidents impacted other critical airport operations, as passenger flow between main terminal and satellite building remained uninterrupted via shuttle bus services.

While all incidents, including minor issues, are logged and reported to regulators under the Ministry of Transport as mandated, only these three events necessitated a temporary pause in service.

The 12 July and 3 September incidents involved loss of power caused by a dislodged Current Collector Device (CCD), affecting the power feed on the guideway and resulting in train stoppages. These incidents fall under the scope of Alstom, the Aerotrain’s main contractor responsible for the train and traction systems. Alstom had mobilised a team to restore service and completed a thorough investigation into the root cause of the incident.

Preliminary findings on the 15 October incident indicate that it was related to a power trip affecting both guideways, within the scope of works of the IJM-Pestech Joint Venture (IPJV), which is accountable for the power distribution system and installation works.

All three incidents occurred within the defect liability period (DLP), during which the contractors are fully responsible for rectification, performance, and reliability. Malaysia Airports has convened multiple joint technical meetings with both Alstom and IPJV’s senior management to identify contributing factors and expedite corrective measures.

The Aerotrain system had undergone a stringent testing, commissioning, and certification process prior to its launch. This process involved independent checking engineers and a full regulatory review to ensure compliance with all safety and performance standards. In view of the latest incident, the airport will be appointing an independent assessor to complement the ongoing review and provide additional assurance on the power supply design, installation integrity, and overall system reliability, demonstrating our commitment to go beyond regulatory requirements in ensuring continued operational assurance.

Since commencing service, the three Aerotrain units have collectively carried more than 5.75 million passengers, completed over 42,000 trips, and achieved a cumulative operational service availability (OSA) of 99.23%. Importantly, there have been no major disruptions that caused passengers to miss their flights, reflecting the effectiveness of the airport’s contingency and recovery measures.

Malaysia Airports reiterates its full commitment to ensuring that the KLIA Aerotrain system remains safe, reliable, and compliant with all regulatory standards and service level agreements. Passenger safety remains our utmost priority, and we will continue to cooperate fully with APAD and the Ministry of Transport to strengthen system performance and maintain public confidence.