MALAYSIA. Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) has announced that KLIA 2, the new permanent Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), will open in October 2012.
Hailed as the largest purpose-built dedicated terminal for low-cost carriers in the world, the 242,000sq m facility is slated as one of the four key drivers behind MAHB’s ambition to hit RM2.14 billion (US$710 million) in non-aeronautical revenues by 2014.
“KLIA 2 is a commercially driven terminal – right from the drawing board,” said MAHB Senior General Manager, Commercial Services Puan Faizah Khairuddin. The national airport operator is devoting 35,000sq m – about 20% of its gross floor area – to commercial activities, 15,000sq m of retail space in a single centralised airside area.
Built to handle 30 million passengers per annum initially, the new terminal can be expanded to handle up to 45 million passengers. Located just 2km away from KLIA’s Main Terminal Building (the existing LCCT is 20km away), KLIA 2 allows for easy transfer and better connectivity between the two terminals.
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“KLIA 2 is set to be a change platform for us in meeting the expectations of our stakeholders“ |
Puan Faizah Khairuddin Senior General Manager, Commercial Services Malaysia Airports Holdings |
In addition a multi-modal transportation hub is being built for buses, taxis and the Express Rail Link. A 6,000-bay multi-storey car park and a shopping mall with 35,000sq m of commercial space will also be built adjacent to the terminal building. Together these make up the KLIA 2 Integrated Complex, a RM486 million (US$161 million) privatised development in which MAHB holds a 30% stake.
Market research was undertaken last July to understand the customer profile, segmentation and behaviour in order to discern the right products and brands for the terminal. Based on the results, MAHB is now conceptualising how it wants to brand the shopping experience at KLIA 2.
“We want to be consistent in terms of product offerings, brands, and the overall customer experience in the terminal. To ensure this we intend to provide a branding guideline during the tender process, which will be held, hopefully, this June/July,” Khairuddin revealed.
In terms of positioning, MAHB is looking at up-and-coming middle to upper-middle brand names. Examples of such brands include Kiehl’s; fashion labels Gap, Banana Republic and H&M; and fashion jewellery brand Pandora. “What we’re really looking for are new and exciting brands in the upper-middle segment that are affordable and encourage impulse buying,” Khairuddin added.
“KLIA 2 is set to be a change platform for us in meeting the expectations of our stakeholders – from our passengers/customers, to our partners, to our shareholders,” she underlines. “There is huge potential within this terminal and I would like our prospective partners to see the many opportunities that can be reaped, given the number and the quality of customers we are bringing to KLIA 2,” she concluded.
The KLIA 2 development will be featured in detail in the May 2011 issue of The Moodie Report Print Edition.
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A series of artist’s impressions of the new KLIA 2, set to open in October 2012; at 242,000sq m the RM2 billion (US$663 million) facility is hailed as the largest purpose-built dedicated terminal for low-cost carriers in the world |
