KUALA LUMPUR — The opening of a new airport to accommodate budget carriers has been delayed until next year because of design changes and other construction setbacks, Malaysia’s airport operator said late on Tuesday.
Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad said the contractors for the terminal building of the new airport, who previously said the facility would be completed this month, have set late April next year as a new target date for completion. Operations are to start on May 2 next year.
It said the RM4 billion (S$1.6 billion) airport, dubbed KLIA2, was originally slated to open in the middle of last year but was delayed due to design changes. The contractors have also blamed poor ground conditions for the delay.
It added that 90 per cent of the project is complete and that costs have not risen despite the delay.
AirAsia, South-east Asia’s top budget carrier and the main user of the terminal, has criticised the multiple delays and high expense.
Mr Aireen Omar, head of its Malaysian operations, said earlier this month that what was meant to be a simple low-cost airport has developed into a “vast and highly complex infrastructure”. The company is worried the high project cost will mean high landing fees that will hurt its operations. AP
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