Big Changes at KLIA

It’s been a long time since I was here, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). The last time I was flying out of KL, it was on Air Asia, so I was at the decidedly different low cost carrier terminal. The main terminal building is still vast and airy. They’re doing a little bit of work here and there in the main terminal, and a lot of changes are under way in the satellite terminal, where almost half of the shops are closed for remodeling.

Other than that, the 10 year old airport is wearing well. There’s no sign of any big expansion – the master plan obviously has room for a second satellite concourse – but KLIA always seems under-utilized to me anyway. It seems that focus is shifting on development around the airport, creating a proper "aeropolis" similar to Amsterdam’s Schipol airport.