SITA Technology supports smooth start at new Kuala Lumpur terminal

SITA, the world’s leading air transport IT and communications specialist, has helped provide a smooth start to flight and passenger operations at Kuala Lumpur’s new airport terminal, klia2.

SITA’s AirportConnect Open platform automates passenger processing for the terminal, which officially opened 2 May, helping the airport and airlines to provide exceptional service. The SITA Departure Control System reduces the complexity of check-in and boarding, and its baggage solutions, BagManager and BagMessage, improve baggage processing efficiency, helping to ensure on-time departures.

AirportConnect Open enjoys more than 70% market share among airports globally that have implemented common-use infrastructure. Around the world, more than 300 airlines use SITA’s AirportConnect Open to process millions of passengers every day in more than 525 airports.

Dato’ Azmi Murad, General Manager, Operations Services, Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad (MAHB), which operates the airport, said: “With SITA’s technology and support, klia2 is processing large numbers of passengers and their bags quickly and efficiently, for great on-time performance. Our operations would not have gone as smoothly without SITA. We are also delighted that all airlines – Air Asia, Malindo, Cebu and Tiger – are already onboard and using the new system. Our agreement with SITA has enabled us to procure bulk discounts for all airlines at both KLIA-Main and klia2.”

With passenger traffic at klia2 expected to reach 24 million over the next 12 months, SITA’s technology will serve as an important platform for growth.  Using the new platform, airlines can access their respective IT applications in real time on shared equipment. They can also use any airport desk, gate or self-serve kiosk for passenger check-in and boarding for maximum flexibility and convenience. This platform is also ready for other self-service initiatives such as self bag drop, which falls under IATA’s FAST (Fast and Seamless Travel) program to offer more choice and control for passengers and lower costs for the industry.

Ilya Gutlin, President, SITA Asia Pacific, said: “We have collaborated with KLIA for nearly 10 years, helping them innovate and transform their operations with new technology. SITA’s AirportConnect Open helps enhance service quality for passengers, while further strengthening KLIA’s status as one of the world’s best airports. The platform serving both the main terminal and new klia2 enables the airport and its airlines to handle more passengers with the same resources.

“It also future proofs the airport infrastructure to enable airlines to deliver new capabilities to the airport quickly, such as enabling pre-departure screening of passenger data.  We look forward to growing with KLIA and working with Malaysia Airports to enhance services and improve efficiency at their terminals”

The new 10-year deal with MAHB is an innovative extension of the SITA system currently in place in KLIA’s main terminal. Between the two terminals, SITA now provides more than 600 common use workstations, 110 common-use, self-serve kiosks and six mobile check-in units.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport is one of Asia’s major aviation hubs and is the 11th busiest airport in the world by international passenger traffic. In 2013, the airport handled more than 47 million passengers and over 600,000 metric tons of cargo. Since its inauguration in 1998, KLIA has won numerous awards from international organizations such as Skytrax and the International Air Transport Association. The airport was recently recognized as the second best airport in its size category, in the Skytrax 2014 World’s Airport Awards. It was also recently named traveller’s third favorite airport in the Top 10 Airports Worldwide category of the Smart Travel Asia 2013 Best in Travel Poll.