The dears expressed about the readiness of the new KLIA2 low-cost carrier terminal before it was opened for operations might have some basis in truth, as reports of the new airport having structural defects have begun to surface.
The Malaysian Insider editor Jahabar Sadiq has received information from sources in the aviation industry that the new RM4 billion airport is seeing “ponding” on its runways – water collecting in the airport apron – after heavy rains, just two weeks after opening for business.
These sources also claimed there were instances of AirAsia Airbus 320 planes moving on the KLIA2 tarmac despite having safety chocks installed to prevent the aircraft from moving, due to uneven and bumpy parking bays. AirAsia is by far the new terminal’s biggest customer, projected to make up 80% of KLIA2 passenger traffic.
“What happened was when brakes were released on the main wheel, the aircraft moved back due to the slope/depression. In this case, the momentum was just enough to cause it to climb and stop on the chock. The aircraft chocks that we used are as per Airbus specs.
“This has been happening every day and we have asked our guys not to be anywhere behind the aircraft when we release the brakes. It’s becoming very dangerous,” a source told The Malaysian Insider.
It is learnt that AirAsia is working with airport operator Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) to work out these irregularities. The KLIA2 terminal had previously received the greenlight from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) weeks before opening for business.
MAHB personnel have been resurfacing the KLIA2 tarmac following complaints from AirAsia officials over the soft ground conditions, and are using densiphalt – a composite paving material made of concrete and asphalt, instead of just asphalt which is usually used for such areas.
The Malaysian Insider also had access to a pilot’s report to his airline which detailed “five depressions” on Taxiway U4 at the new airport. The pilot making the report hadd been avoiding Taxiway U4 by “requesting other taxi routing from ground if traffic permits for pax comfort”.
In a related development, this Twitter user questions why a RM4 billion airport uses plywood planks as a foundation for its tarmac surfaces:
See Also:
Are the Transport Ministry and AirAsia in a standoff over KLIA2?
AirAsia: We’ll move to KLIA2 when everything’s okay
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