MAHB: KLIA Aerotrain Issues Related to ‘Standard Failures’, Daily Offline Window Introduced for Long-Term Reliability

SEPANG (Nov 14): Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) clarified that the recent Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) aerotrain disruptions were caused by “standard failures” encountered during live operations, and confirmed that all identified issues have now been rectified. Beginning Nov 15, 2025, the aerotrain will undergo a scheduled daily shutdown of 10 hours to ensure long-term system stability and prevent future breakdowns.

Chief airports officer Bryan John Thompson said during a Friday media briefing that the four disruptions—recorded since the aerotrain resumed operations on July 1—were unrelated incidents that surfaced only under real-world conditions.

“These were standard failures that emerged during operation. Each issue was different, and each has been addressed. Our comprehensive action plan is designed to ensure these problems do not recur,” Thompson said.

Despite the setbacks, the aerotrain has maintained an operational service availability of above 98%, except in October, when performance dipped to 95.89%.

Three-Stage Action Plan Begins Nov 15

MAHB has initiated a structured corrective roadmap:

Stage 1 (Nov 15): Inspection, testing, system alignment and verification
Stage 2 (Dec 1): System-wide and vehicle-level testing
Stage 3 (Dec 15): Trial operations under live airport conditions

A revised completion date has not been finalised, though MAHB maintains that the plan is necessary to meet global benchmarks for reliability.

IJM Corp Bhd and Pestech International Bhd—responsible for the aerotrain’s power system—were involved in the latest incidents on Oct 15 and 28, while Alstom SA, the French rolling stock supplier, remains the project’s original equipment manufacturer.

Real-World Operations Exposed Issues Not Seen During Testing

MAHB managing director Datuk Mohd Izani Ghani stressed that testing phases cannot fully replicate live airport environments.

“In controlled testing, everything works differently. Real operations reveal what needs to be corrected. The important thing now is ensuring full reliability moving into the new year,” he said.

Both MAHB and Pestech declined to revisit past controversies involving project delays, saying the focus is now on executing the action plan.

Pestech and Alstom won the initial contract in 2021, but MAHB terminated Pestech’s role in 2023 due to non-performance. A revised arrangement in January 2024 placed Alstom and the IJM-Pestech JV jointly in charge of delivering the project—each responsible for separate scopes.

The aerotrain system, originally targeted for completion in early 2025, was later pushed to July.

Maintaining High Standards for Passenger Experience

Thompson emphasised that MAHB holds itself to world-class standards, noting that global rail systems aim for above 99% availability.

“Above 99% is excellent and considered world-class. We aim to deliver that level of service for the travelling public,” he said.

The KLIA aerotrain is a key connectivity component supporting the broader airport ecosystem—which has spillover effects on surrounding asset classes such as commercial property in KL, logistics hubs tied to industrial land in Selangor, business districts near office space in Bukit Jalil, and airport-linked industrial parks supporting factory demand in Puchong and the industrial property market in the Subang area.