PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) has been ordered to overhaul the electrical infrastructure at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) after a blackout at Terminal 2 exposed weaknesses in its system, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said.
Speaking after unveiling the Civil Aviation Authority Malaysia’s (CAAM) new corporate identity, Loke said airports are critical infrastructure that must run with near-absolute reliability.
“MAHB must redesign its electrical system so such a blackout does not recur.”
The outage happened late last month when a fault in one of the terminal’s cables triggered a power cut. Operations were not severely disrupted, but Loke criticised the response, calling the 28 minutes it took to restore electricity “very long and difficult to accept”.
“Even short disruptions can ripple through airlines, passengers and cargo. Reliability and resilience are non-negotiable.”
Loke confirmed he has received the full technical report and directed MAHB to go beyond patching faults.
“This isn’t just about fixing cables. The design must ensure backup systems kick in instantly and risks are minimised.”
He stressed the urgency of improvements, with Malaysia hosting the Asean Summit next month and prepares for Visit Malaysia Year 2026.
“Airports are the first impression for travellers. We cannot afford repeated failures that undermine Malaysia’s reputation as a reliable air hub.”
KLIA, which handles tens of millions of passengers annually, has faced infrastructure hiccups in recent years – from baggage handling snags to system breakdowns. While most incidents were contained without major flight cancellations, they exposed vulnerabilities in ageing facilities and the need for reinvestment.
Loke said the government would closely monitor MAHB’s progress.
“MAHB has assured us measures are underway, but we want to see results. Passenger safety and comfort must come first.”
The blackout also comes as Malaysia reshapes its aviation regulatory landscape. With the merger of CAAM and the Malaysian Aviation Commission, the enlarged regulator now oversees both technical and economic aspects of the industry.