Fix it or we’ll move back to LCCT: AirAsia

KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia Bhd, which has been operating out of klia2 since May last year, wants a permanent solution to the settlement issues at the new airport and is looking at moving back to the low cost carrier terminal (LCCT).
CEO Aireen Omar, who urged the Transport Ministry and Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) to come up with a permanent solution, said the ideal solution could be moving back to LCCT until all issues at klia2 are resolved.
"In all honesty, it probably is the best way. We would have to sit down with MAHB if it comes to that situation because it's really difficult to operate an airport where every time, every month there's always certain bays being closed. If you look into the airport, there are tractors everywhere in order to try and address the soil solution or the depression. How do we operate from that? One minute this bay can be used and the next day we cannot use that particular bay.
"We have more than 80 aircraft for the whole of Malaysia and about close to 70 aircraft or even more than that if you include AirAsia X in klia2. Certainly it will be a challenge to move to LCCT because of the limited parking space and everything of that sort, but perhaps we could work something out. We don't know. We want to see something being solved at klia2," she told reporters at a signing ceremony between the airline and Destini Bhd today.
She said the settlement issues will continue to be there for the next few years or more, which is an obstruction to its operations of more than 400 flights a day.
"We can't do it in a smooth, cost-efficient way ... every five minutes, there's always flights departing or arriving into klia2 and we have to find ways to work in the most efficient way when most of the bays are being closed or resurfaced all the time. Sometimes we have bays being resurfaced every three months. Settlement still continues. It's quite uncomfortable also for our passengers if they were to fly in an aircraft and the taxi on the apron is very bumpy," she added.
Calling it a "nuisance", Aireen said AirAsia staff spend 90% of the time coming up with ways to operate without compromising safety due to the issues at the airport. She also said costs have increased to a "very substantial sum".
AirAsia Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, who tweeted a photo of an aircraft with its front landing gear twisted after slipping off chocks, said MAHB must be accountable for the issues at klia2.
"Malaysia has to stop hiding and be transparent and accountable. The airport needs to be fixed. Fix it and let's move on. We have to stop pretending and pushing out rubbish press releases. We should never have moved. I was right, the management of AirAsia was right, we should have let the ground settle, fix it, then move. But never mind, we've moved, we'll make the most of it," he said.
He also said these "mistakes" should not be repeated and reiterated the airline's stand on staying put at Kota Kinabalu International Airport's Terminal 2. The airline was supposed to relocate to the main terminal (Terminal 1) on Jan 1 this year.
"It would be disastrous for Sabah tourism. Renovate it, make it better. If you move us over there, there will be traffic, there will be congestion, cost will go up to Terminal 1. Listen to us, please. We know what we're talking about, we've built an airline out of nothing," he said.