KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 — Airports nationwide are expected to receive 119 international flights on the first day of the country’s border reopening tomorrow, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).
In a statement today, CAAM chief executive officer Datuk Chester Voo said based on flight schedules that have been filed, the two terminals at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) are scheduled to receive 110 flights from Hong Kong, Incheon, Melbourne, New Delhi, Doha, Istanbul and London, to name a few.
“Penang International Airport is receiving seven flights, of which five are from Singapore and two from Taipei, while Langkawi International Airport and Ipoh Airport are receiving one flight each from Singapore,” he said.
Voo also said that as the aviation industry moves towards a safe and sustainable restart, CAAM and industry stakeholders should work together to implement restart measures to ensure a safe harmonised approach.
“This will help ensure that the restart and recovery of air operations in the ‘new normal’ are thoroughly considered and implemented in a structured manner,” he said.
Meanwhile, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) managing director Datuk Iskandar Mizal Mahmood said airports nationwide are ready to ensure a safe and seamless experience for all once borders reopen tomorrow.
He said government authorities have been working closely with airport stakeholders to make sure that health protocols and procedures at airports are simplified for passengers’ convenience.
“For the past several weeks, we have held daily engagements with various airport stakeholders to ensure that airport operations run like clockwork.
“No detail is too small for our attention. Not only do we look at all aspects of the passenger journey, but we are also ensuring compliance to all aviation regulatory matters,” he said.
According to the statement, improvements made include shortening the documentation process upon arrival by having passengers complete them on the MySejahtera app before departing from their country of origin.
Queueing areas at the Immigration Department counters have been made more spacious for the comfort of passengers and the e-gate system will also be available for use by Malaysian citizens for faster clearance.
On March 8, 2022, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had said Malaysia will fully reopen its borders on April 1 as the country begins to transition to the Covid-19 endemic phase. — Bernama
