KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 4): Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd said today that operations at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) have been running smoothly since budget airline AirAsia Bhd has moved to Terminal 1 on Tuesday.
"Today marks the fourth day of smooth operations at KKIA, after AirAsia’s move on Dec 1, 2015 which brings a total of 16 commercial airlines operating at Terminal 1.
"Since the consolidation of operations under one roof, the terminal has seen an increase in the number of daily flight average to 200 flights per day. The number of passengers flying through the terminal has also increased to approximately 18,000 passengers per day, compared to 8,000 passengers from before," it noted.
AirAsia had repeatedly refused to move from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 at KKIA since 2011, citing costs and terminal constraints as the main reasons. But on Monday, it announced it would be moving to Terminal 1 on Dec 1.
To date, MAHB said a total of 272 AirAsia flights have flown in and out of the terminal at the rate of 68 flights daily.
The terminal, said MAHB, has the capacity to cater to up to 9 million passengers per year and is fully equipped with facilities that will ensure passenger convenience and comfort, such as ample parking space, passenger boarding bridges (PBB), and various retail and F&B outlets within the terminal.
It said sales receipts at some outlets has also increased by about 50% in the last four days, due to more people passing through the terminal since AirAsia's move.
"Airports these days do not merely function as gateways, but play a very important role in boosting local economy through its commercial offerings," it noted.
It added that KKIA also welcomed China Southern Airlines’ inaugural flight from Guangzhou on Dec 1 at 5.30pm local time. The airline provides three flights a week from Guangzhou to Kota Kinabalu.
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