Do We Need Another Airport?

9 January 2009 – The Star reports that the Labu LCCT ownership structure will ready by April

23 January 2009 – The Edge Daily reports that according to DPM Najib, Cabinet is re-evaluating Labu LCCT plans

The underutilisation of KLIA@Sepang is a known and accepted fact. We often hear of airlines preferring Changi or Suvarnabhumi as their South East Asian hub. The airport’s distance from the centre of civilisation makes air travel from KL to certain places like Ipoh or Kuantan redundant. So, do we need another airport barely 8 kilometres away from an underutilised modern airport?

The conspiracy theorists will point to Pak Lah, KJ, golden handshake, and pension fund, whatever. If they are true then the people who are running this country sucks. But is there any other explanation? What is Sime Darby getting out of LCCT@Labu? According to Tony Fernandes the current LCCT is running out of space and MAHB’s planned LCCT won’t be ready on time.

So, what happened to planning? Is the present LCCT a temporary terminal? If so, why didn’t they (whoever, MAHB, Transport Ministry, JKR etc) build a permanent one sooner? Why can’t Tony and friends just pressure MAHB to build the planned LCCT to their specifications? Why can't the government pressure MAHB to build the LCCT faster?

Why can’t Air Asia’s operations be moved to KLIA@Sepang? By increasing the utilisation of KLIA@Sepang, all the supporting sectors will benefit, the ERL will see higher passenger traffic, the shops at the airport will have a bigger market, increased revenue from car parking charges etc. MAHB should give Air Asia discounts on airport charges; bring it down to LCCT levels.

Why did we move from Subang anyway? Was the place too crowded? I don’t think so because the neighbourhoods of Ara Damansara, Subang Perdana, Pinggiran Subang or even Bukit Jelutong came AFTER the airport. The Government could have gazetted those areas as “airport reserve” and ban any form of development from taking place. Incidentally, Ara Damansara and Bukit Jelutong sit on plantation lands once owned by Sime Darby and Guthrie respectively. There is this area after terminal 3 (called U5, I think) where all the seafood restaurants are, that should have been part of the gazetted airport reserve too. Wouldn’t modernising Subang airport, upgrading and adding a few more terminals and runways been easier and cost effective?