A visit to St Anne's Chapel in Kuala Sangga, Perak, leaves a deep impression on the writer.
At a time when the aviation industry is navigating both unprecedented challenges and exciting opportunities, Mohd Izani has been tasked to steer MAHB to transform its operations, which includes improving customer experience and overall performance of the company.
As MAHB’s new managing director, what are some of the successes and gaps that you have identified, and what are your top priorities for immediate action and why?Mohd Izani: Our operations were undeniably impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, and while the recovery has been challenging, we have shown significant resilience as an organisation.
Substantial capital investments are needed for us to undertake major enhancements, and expand airport capacity to keep up with passenger recovery and future growth. Having spent nearly two months in his new role, Datuk Mohd Izani Ghani is committed to building MAHB’s robust foundation while targeting key areas for operational improvements.
To date, 18 new airlines have already started or revived routes to KLIA, thereby exceeding the number of airlines at KLIA in 2019. In addition, connecting Malaysia to the world must be viewed beyond just KLIA. With our network of 39 airports, we are uniquely-positioned to facilitate opening of new flight routes both domestically and internationally. This not only strengthens Malaysia’s regional and global connections but also ensures the entire nation can benefit from enhanced air travel accessibility.
MAHB has been lagging behind its regional counterparts like Thailand and Indonesia, in capital expenditures. It was reported that MAHB requires approximately RM10bil in investments over a five-year period. What are some of the capital expenditures that you are planning and how will you secure funding?
The expansion of PIA shall be one of the first deliverables under the new OAs, for which we have agreed with the government on the recovery mechanism, based upon a pre-agreed rate of return. On Tawau Airport, and as mentioned by the Transport Minister recently, the airport will be upgraded with works to commence next year and completed in three years. Upon completion, airport’s floor area will expand by 50% from 15,800 sqm to 23,500 sqm, passenger capacity will increase to 2.5 million , it will be a fully air-conditioned terminal and will feature more check-in counters, larger waiting areas, and enhanced tourist-friendly facilities.
Considering the growing importance of regional connectivity, what specific strategies do you plan to implement to address the historical lack of focus on smaller airports in Malaysia? How do you intend to balance resource allocation between major international hubs and the infrastructural needs of underserved regional airports to ensure holistic growth in Malaysia’s aviation sector?
For one, the recently signed OA provides an investment recovery framework for MAHB to pursue viable airport developments, alleviating the burden of airport development from the government, thus allowing the government to focus its resources on smaller airports. In addition to infrastructure upgrade, we are increasing our focus on improving the overall airport experience which requires extensive collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders.
Mohd Izani: We are looking at requirements for further expansion and this is in line with the KLIA Masterplan. One of the things that we are evaluating is to allocate a dedicated area within KLIA to handle Muslim travellers for Haj and umrah pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia. We will also double down on our efforts to build a robust leadership development plan and an accelerated career development programme, one that will provide our employees with the right exposure and opportunity to grow within the company.
Corporate News Native Advertorial Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad MAHB Kuala Lumpur International Airport KLIA Penang International Airport Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport Motac Miti EPF GIP ADIA Datuk Mohd Izani Ghani
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