KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 — A disruption to Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s (KLIA) baggage handling system on April 18 was triggered by a high-voltage power fault at a Bukit Raja substation, the Transport Ministry said today.
In a statement, the ministry said preliminary findings showed a 132kV Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) trip at about 4.54pm caused a voltage dip that disrupted operations at Terminal 1, leading to a large-scale system failure affecting baggage handling for both arriving and departing flights.
Although the system was supported by uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units, six UPS units were also affected, exposing weaknesses in system resilience, it added.
A total of 23,769 bags were processed between 5pm and 10.30pm on the day of the incident.
Of these, 1,061 were shortshipped while 120 were recorded as missing on arrival.
Most of the affected baggage has since been delivered through ground handling partners, with only a small number still pending final delivery or collection.
The ministry stressed that flight schedules were not affected, with no delays or cancellations reported despite the disruption.
An emergency coordination meeting was chaired earlier today by Transport Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Jana Santhiran Muniayan, involving the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), airline representatives and operational teams.
The meeting was convened following the incident to assess immediate findings and mitigation measures.
Initial internal reviews identified several operational gaps, including coordination on the ground, response time, and real-time system visibility.
While a business continuity plan was activated, the scale of the disruption exceeded existing contingency scenarios, the ministry said.
As an immediate response, MAHB and airline partners implemented manual procedures and deployed additional manpower to stabilise passenger flow and reduce disruption.
The ministry has ordered a comprehensive upgrade of KLIA’s baggage handling protocols and infrastructure, and said it will closely monitor implementation.
A Cabinet note on the incident will be tabled on April 22, while MAHB has been directed to submit weekly progress reports on efforts to stabilise baggage operations.
CAAM is also conducting further investigations in coordination with MAHB to ensure full operational stability and compliance with safety and service standards.
The ministry said it is expediting proactive measures to prevent recurrence and to ensure KLIA continues to operate at the highest level of efficiency and reliability.
