KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) remains hopeful that air traffic at the 39 airports it operates in the country will return to double-digit growth next year, leaving behind the twin tragedies of flights MH370 and MH17, which have affected the airline industry, said its managing director Datuk Badlisham Ghazali.

“We are currently expecting a single-digit [traffic] growth [for 2015], but the government may continue its tourism promotion efforts as the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 [campaign] was affected by the double tragedies. This, coupled with lower jet-fuel prices, [may help boost air travel] ... I prefer not to rule out that possibility of double-digit passenger growth in 2015,” he said after a media tour of klia2 in Sepang yesterday.

Between January and October this year, the number of passengers passing through the 39 airports grew by 6.1% to 68.05 million from a year ago.

Badlisham also said MAHB hopes to issue the Certificate of Practical Completion (CPC) for klia2’s main terminal building by the end of the year.

“The contractor’s obligation is 97% done. Our goal is to issue it [a CPC] by the end of the year,” he said.

Joint venture (JV) partners UEM Construction Sdn Bhd and Bina Puri Holdings Bhd (UEM-Bina Puri JV) are the contractor for the main terminal building of klia2.

Badlisham also said MAHB will continue to carry out rectification works on problems plaguing klia2 such as depressions on the taxiway and apron due to soil settlement, since CPCs for these parts of klia2 have already been issued to the relevant contractors.

Asked if MAHB had been “too generous” in issuing these CPCs earlier, Badlisham said the group had ensured that these contractors had met their respective obligations before issuing them.

Badlisham reiterated that the costs incurred in maintenance and rectification are expected, despite klia2 being opened to the public since May 2.

“The costs incurred for the maintenance and rectification are budgeted. We (had) expected them and are dealing with them accordingly.

“Take soil settlement for example. You cannot predict land movement, but we will have our eyes on it so as to fix the issue early”.

Badlisham considers the issues currently facing klia2 as “normal”.

“There are other issues that are just as crucial to other world-class airports, not necessarily cracks and deposition, but they have their own issues,” he said.

In response to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC)’s report on the construction of klia2, Badlisham said he will need to go through the report in detail before deciding on any further course of action.

“We definitely welcome the report as a public listed company. But at this moment, I will need to read it (PAC report) thoroughly before I am able to make any comments,” he said.

Badlisham also said that he will discuss with the transport ministry regarding the recommendations made by PAC, including calling for an audit by the auditor-general on klia2.

“My concern is what kind of audit that they wish to conduct. So, let me talk to the government first,” he said.

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on November 28, 2014.