KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — The KLIA Aerotrain service has experienced 19 disruptions between July 2 and September 30 this year, despite achieving a 99.19 per cent operational service availability since its relaunch on July 1, the Dewan Rakyat was informed today.

As reported by Bernama, Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah said that as of October 8, the Aerotrain had carried 5.33 million passengers and covered a total of 39,942 kilometres.

He explained that the service is currently under a two-year defect liability period and that both the mechanical and signalling systems are still in the initial phase of adjustment towards full operational stability.

"The project is currently under a two-year defect liability period. The mechanical and signalling systems are in the initial adjustment phase towards full operational stability," Hasbi said during the question-and-answer session.

Hasbi was responding to a question from Khairil Nizam Khirudin (PN-Jerantut) regarding the cause of the frequent breakdowns of the KLIA Aerotrain and the government’s actions to ensure smooth and safe passenger transportation at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

He explained that of the 19 disruptions reported, technical issues were the primary cause. However, some incidents were also triggered by passengers attempting to forcibly open the train doors.

In response to further questions about penalties for service failures, Hasbi confirmed that service providers could face fines of up to RM190,000 per month if they fail to maintain optimal operational standards.