The privatisation of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), which included the entry of strategic foreign partners, has sparked a tangible improvement in the operation of the nation’s airports.
Managing director Izani Ghani said the airport operator has pivoted towards becoming more agile, responsive and customer-focused, shedding old ways in favour of speed and service excellence.
“I told my team we cannot run an airport at the pace we used to before. This is a customer-facing business. Our customers expect quick responses and smooth experiences,” he said in his first media briefing on MAHB’s strategic direction following the privatisation.
The positive trajectory is being driven by strategic upgrades and service transformations across its network, particularly at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), he added.
MAHB has already completed 14 facility upgrades in the first half of the year at KLIA Terminal 1, improving passenger clearance lanes and check-in zones. These efforts, costing some RM30 million, have increased security screening throughput by 40%.
Its initiatives to enhance customer experience by reducing bottlenecks have seen a reduction in minimum connecting time from 90 minutes to 60 minutes at KLIA Terminal 2.
“These are the low-hanging fruits, done with support from our experienced partners including Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). They helped us fine-tune operations, such as shortening clearance times and optimising passenger flows,” he said.
He said MAHB is exploring the feasibility of enabling seamless passenger transfers between KLIA Terminals 1 and 2. Proof-of-concept trials are underway, including evaluating shuttle routes and baggage transfer processes.
On regional aspirations, Izani said MAHB is focused on the regional travel segment rather than competing with larger hubs like Singapore’s Changi or Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi airports.
“We do not need to fight head-on. We focus on our niche. Many regional carriers are already operating out of Malaysia,” he noted.
GIP’s pivotal role
MAHB was taken private in February by a consortium led by Khazanah Nasional Bhd for RM12.3 billion, or RM11 per share.
The national sovereign wealth fund and Employees Provident Fund (EPF) now hold 40% and 30% respectively, while the remaining 30% is owned by the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and BlackRock-owned GIP.
Izani also acknowledged GIP will play a key role in MAHB’s transformation initiatives moving forward.
He confirmed that Bryan Thompson, who took up the newly-created role of chief airports officer in May, and three others – Adam Wilson, Ben Nolan and Richard Townsend – are GIP representatives.
Thompson previously served as the CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports, executive director at Neom Bay Airport in Saudi Arabia, as well as an operating partner for GIP.
The other three individuals, who are working under Thompson, also have extensive experience in airport operations in the UK and Middle East.
For example, Wilson’s previous roles include COO at Edinburgh Airport and senior roles at London Heathrow Airport while Nolan held senior finance positions at Gatwick Airport.
In explaining the privatisation deal previously, Khazanah and EPF said GIP brings a demonstrable track record of leading airport transformations, as it has done at its other airport investments such as Sydney Airport, Gatwick Airport and Edinburgh Airport.
Apart from the 39 airports in Malaysia, MAHB also manages the Sabiha Gokcen International Airport in Istanbul, Turkey.
