Expert Raises Red Flags Over KLIA Aerotrain

With Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VM2026) on the horizon, concerns over the reliability of Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s (KLIA) aerotrain are back in the spotlight.

The new aerotrain, officially launched on July 1, is already undergoing a two-week round of scheduled maintenance. 

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) said the works, carried out between midnight and 5am, are designed to minimise disruption, with shuttle buses on standby to ferry passengers between the main terminal and the satellite building.

Matta president Nigel Wong defended the exercise, saying it was necessary for smoother operations in the long run.
“It may look like negative news, but it’s essential. Disruptions happen in airports everywhere. The real issue is avoiding long breakdowns caused by poor upkeep. With VM2026 coming, we want visitors to have the best experience,” he said in a NST report.

But transport analyst Wan Agyl Wan Hassan raised deeper concerns.

While the train itself passed 80 system tests and a 2,000km ‘fault-free run’, he noted it still relies on support systems built almost 27 years ago.

“Drainage pumps from the 1990s are still in use. These failed during heavy rain and they weren’t upgraded despite the RM456 million investment,” he told NST, describing the ongoing works as overdue system integration.

He pointed out the aerotrain broke down just 31 hours after launch, despite being certified fit for service.
“Technically ready doesn’t mean operationally mature. Airports run in the real world with weather, heavy loads, and legacy infrastructure. That’s where resilience matters,” he said.

Wan Agyl urged MAHB to adopt predictive maintenance with real-time sensors, audit old systems, and enforce accountability on vendors.

“Publish monthly dashboards, be transparent, and link payments to performance. Airports aren’t just assets, they’re living systems that must work as one,” he added.