Hundreds of passengers were left stranded at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) yesterday (21st December) after a technical glitch halted the aerotrain service.
According to The Malay Mail Online, citing airport operator Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd, the aerotrain service was temporarily halted for almost 2 hours.
Images of passengers gathering at the aerotrain platform began appearing on multiple social media platforms earlier yesterday.
The aerotrain service serves as a link between the Main Terminal Building and the Satellite Building, allowing passengers to catch their flights or exit the airport. However, it is unclear whether the breakdown had led to flight delays.
In a statement issued by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), a spokesperson said that the breakdown in aerotrain services was due to “technical problems”. Asked if there were flight delays due to the glitch, the spokesperson said, “Delays can be due to many reasons.”
MAHB said that the company had activated bus services to ferry passengers between the Main Terminal Building and the Satellite Building. The company also said that public announcements had been made every 5 minutes to inform passengers on the situation. “We apologise for the inconvenience caused. Our team is working towards the speedy rectification of the aerotrains,” the statement added.
The problem was rectified by about 3pm, as a spokesman for MAHB said, “The trains broke down at around 1pm and one of them started operating again at 2:58pm.”
In a post published on its Facebook page, MAHB announced that busing services are currently available at the airport.
The company added:
Take this opportunity to enjoy the breathtaking views of our airside and aircraft when we ferry you between the main terminal building and satellite building. In the meantime, stay with us as we keep you updated on our Aerotrain services. Train 1 is running as scheduled while Train 2 is still in test mode. We are keeping our fingers crossed that all will be well the soonest possible!
MAHB also urged passengers to approach customer service officers for further assistance.
Sources: The Star Online, NST.
