SEPANG, April 29 — The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) will implement six service quality elements focused on queuing times as outlined in the Airports Quality of Service (QoS) Framework at key passenger checkpoints at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 (T1) and 2 (T2) in May.
Its executive chairman Datuk Seri Saripuddin Kasim said these include passenger security search, inbound, outbound and transfer queuing for immigration, as well as inbound and outbound customs.
“The commission aims to implement the remaining two queuing time elements by the fourth quarter of 2024 (4Q 2024),” he told the press at Mavcom’s announcement on key achievements in Airport Service Standards today.
These developments represented the completion of the integration of 28 service quality elements comprising four service quality categories: passenger comfort and facilities, queuing times, passenger and baggage flows, and operator and staff facilities at KLIA T1 and T2.
The commission is setting up targets of 85 per cent airport queuing clearance within 20 minutes for departure and 25 minutes for arrival, and 90 per cent clearance within 10 minutes for transfer.
“We will be publishing airlines’ on-time performance and airports’ performance every month. It is our duty to let the public know about the performance of airlines and airports and be transparent,” Saripuddin said.
The proactive steps are to ensure transparency and continuous improvement through the introduction of airline and airport performance pages on its website.
“This move aims to provide stakeholders with crucial performance metrics, including airlines’ on-time performance, flight cancellations, and airport service quality, fostering a culture of accountability and ongoing enhancement,” he added.
Mavcom has engaged with the stakeholders, and the Transport Ministry has given its “blessings” to ensure that transparency remains even after the merger of Mavcom and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).
“The commission intends to fully implement the Airports QoS Framework across all international and domestic airports in Malaysia, and the implementation will be in phases,” Saripuddin said.
Mavcom has commenced the implementation of the Airports QoS Framework at Kota Kinabalu (BKI) and Langkawi (LGK) effective July 2023, while Kuching (KCH), Miri (MYY), and Senai (JHB) are currently in the development phase and expected to be implemented by the third quarter of 2024 (3Q 2024).
He said that airports planned for development in Q4 include Subang (SZB), Penang (PEN), Kota Bharu (KBR), Sibu (SBW), and Bintulu (BTU); the framework will be implemented progressively until 2027 for the remaining airports.
Regarding penalties, the commission has imposed penalties of RM2.9 million on Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) for failure to comply with the Airports QoS Framework from 2018 until now.
“Specifically, the areas of non-compliance included the cleanliness of passenger and staff washrooms, the availability of ramp Wi-Fi service, outbound baggage (bags that were not uploaded onto the intended aircraft), as well as inbound baggage (the time to retrieve the first and last bags at the baggage carousel),” Saripuddin said.
— Bernama
