New Malaysia airport sinking: AirAsia

The outspoken group chief executive of AirAsia, Tony Fernandes, tweeted that Omar had to continuously deal with the airport’s problems.

“The wheel was bent because the aircraft went over the chock, because it’s sinking”, Fernandes told reporters on Monday.

The carrier reluctantly shifted its schedule to the new terminal when it opened past year.

Airport authorities had expected some “settling” to occur, and were prepared for periodic repairs once KLIA2 opened – a decision that AirAsia never agreed with and that founder Tony Fernandes has branded “ridiculous”. Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), which oversees KLIA2, had previously acknowledged the airport was located on unstable ground, which could require years of considerable maintenance to address.

“We have moved and so we will make the most of it. But let’s stop repeating this mistake”, he said.

Last year, local media photographed Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai and airport officials walking through the terminal’s waterlogged tarmac during an inspection.

Malaysia Airports said the depressions and water at KLIA2 were caused by differential soil settlements.

A concrete slab to be ready by April would provide a more permanent solution. A Chinese-led consortium bought the airport, 100 miles south of Madrid, for just €10,000 earlier this month.

However, the conditions at the airport have reportedly not yet endangered flights. If it worsens, it could become a safety problem, Aireen said to Bloomberg in an interview.

“It’s about time aggressive steps are taken to improve standards in Asia”, said Mark Martin, chief executive officer of Dubai-based aviation consulting firm Martin Consulting.

“The flight schedule for this Kuala Lumpur-Maldives route allows travelers from regions such as Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Thailand and Australia to connect easily to the route”, he said.