Aerotrain back on track soon

SEPANG: The bane of air travellers at the KL International Airport (KLIA) is set to be over with its broken down aerotrain to resume operations soon.
The issue has been a major grouse and national embarrassment, with the facility out of service for over two years.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the media will be invited for a test run next week before services resume for air travellers.
However, he did not provide a specific date for resumption of services.
'We will ensure that the media is the first to test the aerotrain before it becomes operational,' he said after the groundbreaking ceremony of the Selangor Aero Park (SAP) here yesterday.
Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) missed the first deadline of getting the aerotrain ready by Jan 31, and put off the target to the second quarter of the year.
Big things ahead: Loke (centre) breaking ground at the Selangor Aero Park @ KLIA Aeropolis, Sepang, flanked by Amirudin (third from left) and Malaysia Airports chairman Nungsari Ahmad Radhi (third from right) as well as other guests. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star
The RM742.95mil aerotrain replacement project was only 85% completed at the start of the year.
The aerotrain service was suspended indefinitely in March 2023 after two major breakdowns.
On Feb 27 that year, an aerotrain halted midway on the track from the main terminal to the satellite building.
A second train which was deployed also experienced technical difficulties, forcing travellers to walk to the satellite building.
On March 1, 114 passengers were stranded when the aerotrain broke down again and had to walk about 500m to the satellite building, causing 10 passengers to miss their flights.
On the SAP, Loke said the concept complemented the government's aspirations to turn KLIA Aeropolis into a leading air cargo hub in the region.
'We have the recipe and pre-conditions said to be unmatched by any other country in the Asean region, as KLIA has a 10km by 10km area which spans 100sq km.
'With this space, various plans can be implemented,' he said.
Loke said with three parallel runways in KLIA presently, there is potential to build up to five runways.
Loke also said the SAP, a project between MAHB and Mentri Besar Selangor Incorporated (MBI), will become a specific industry zone targeting companies in the aerospace manufacturing and supply chain sector.
The SAP is a key component of the Malaysian Aerospace Industry Blueprint 2030 to generate RM55.2bil in annual aerospace revenue and create over 32,000 high-income jobs by 2030.
Spanning 242.8ha within the KLIA Aeropolis, the park has a potential gross development value of RM2.3bil.
Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, who was present, said the SAP was already 50% booked.

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