Immigration arrival area at klia2 doubles capacity following renovation

Following the expansion of its immigration arrival area, international passengers arriving at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 (klia2) can now utilise a more spacious and comfortable arrival hall. Malaysia Airports successfully expanded the immigration area to approximately twice its original size, doubling its prior capacity.

Malaysia Airports’ Group Chief Executive Officer, Raja Azmi Raja Nazuddin, said: “As the custodian of the main gateway into the country, our aim is to provide a joyful experience for our guests – more so with VM2020 [Visit Malaysia 2020]. We know that passengers are generally tired upon their arrival and congestion at any of the critical touchpoints would just add to their stress.”

The renovated processing area is now roughly 1,400m² and can accommodate approximately 1,000 people comfortably at any time, compared to the previous 500 people. The larger space will prevent the immigration queue from extending into the corridor area that is connected to the arrival gates, particularly during peak periods. Passengers with reduced mobility (PRMs) have also been considered, with priority lanes for PRMs being introduced.

Following the relocation of the immigration counters at the arrival hall, a snake queue system was implemented, providing a more orderly experience for passengers. Queuing in a common line, as opposed to separate lines for each counter, means passengers will be able to go to the next available immigration counter more systematically, takes away the stress of having to choose which queue line to go to and helps promote a shorter average wait time.

Renovations were completed and opened three days before the new year in time to welcome tourist arrivals in conjunction with VM2020. Nazuddin continued: “With full support from our partners, the Department of Immigration KLIA (Immigration) and Air Asia, we had completed the initiative in record time, within seven weeks, in time to cater to the super peak travelling period during Christmas and school holidays. The passenger flow is now smoother and congestion at the area is expected to be a thing of the past.”