RM456m aerotrain's multiple breakdowns – teething problems or just shoddy workmanship?
PUBLIC dismay over yet another breakdown in Aerotrain services in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is apparent on social media. The grumblings about the latest breakdown on Monday (Aug 4) have been loud and clear.
As reported by The Star, airport operator Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) has issued a statement regarding the 15-minute incident by blaming it on a 'technical issue'.
'At 10.30am, a door malfunction resulted in a temporary pause in operations for 15 mins,' the mainstream daily pointed out in a post uploaded to its X account.
'Shuttle buses were deployed during this time to maintain connectivity. Service resumed at 11.01am and operations are back to normal.'
One can understand public disgruntlement as this follows other recent incidents.
The Star had also reported that the aerotrain had experienced another breakdown on July 13.
The incident that evening forced stranded passengers to walk a short stretch of the guideway to reach Terminal 1's satellite building with MAHB apologising for the incident.
On July 4, the aerotrain service was halted for an hour around 11am when heavy rain caused water ponding at the underpass.
In a statement that day, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook attributed the cause to a pump failure which was not part of the aerotrain replacement programme but one that was supposed to drain the water.
Henceforth, this painted the impression that the incident was in no way 'a breakdown' of the train.
Compensation for delays
The minister's excuse sounds like a lot like a 'cuci tangan' statement which alongside the other breakdowns, the end consequence is that travellers were greatly inconvenienced.
The frequency of these breakdowns seems to go beyond mere teething problems. Did the relevant parties not carry out rigorous testing of the system before going 'live'?
Surely, a water pump's efficiency and effectiveness would be put to the test since Malaysia is, surprise, surprise, known for its rainy seasons to avoid the July 4 incident.
What other unexpected surprises will creep up to cause more delays?
What if the next incident causes travellers to miss their flights? Aside from missed holidays or business trips, what if it causes them to miss an important family event such as a wedding or, worse, a funeral?
Will there be suitable recompense?
It is one thing to merely reimburse the cost of a missed flight but it is quite another to put a number on missing important family engagements.
These breakdowns sap public confidence of the aerotrain system.
There should be greater accountability aside from the grovelling apologies. With the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign kicking off next year, suffice to say, these are headlines that everyone can do without.
Social media means it will go viral, painting a negative perception of Malaysia as a destination.
Stop passing the buck and get your act together. In this case, it would be the Transport Minister as the buck has to stop with you. – Aug 5, 2025
Concerned Frequent Flyer
Cheras
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image: MAHB
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