KLIA East @ Labu, (or KLIA-East or KLIA 2), was a proposed budget carrier international airport. It would have been the third civilian airport serving Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Greater Klang Valley area in Malaysia, after Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (Subang Airport).
The airport was to be located at Labu, Negeri Sembilan, which is 8.6 kilometres away from KLIA. It was proposed by AirAsia, a Malaysian low-cost airline, to replace its use of the low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT) at KLIA. The airport at Labu was intended to serve AirAsia only, and the other airlines serving Kuala Lumpur, including full-service carriers, low-cost carriers as well as cargo airlines would continue to utilize KLIA.
By road, the airport is 50 km from downtown Kuala Lumpur, compared to the distance of 78 km for KLIA. The construction of the new airport, on a 2,800ha area at the state's central corridor in Labu, would have been financed by the private sector. The two parties involved in this project were AirAsia Holdings Group and Sime Darby who own the land. Construction was planned to start in mid-2009 and the new airport was anticipated to be ready by 2011.
However, after a meeting with the Cabinet Ministers of Malaysia, which includes the Deputy Prime Minister, the government instructed the airport operator of KLIA, Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad, to build a new low-cost carrier terminal at KLIA itself with close consultation with AirAsia. AirAsia will submit its wish list and specifications to the operator for discussion. The new terminal, klia2, started operations on 2 May 2014, with AirAsia moving to klia2 a week later on 9 May.
Currently, the former project site is a proposed site for a Royal Malaysian Air Force base.
Background
Prior to the proposed airport, AirAsia is operating from the LCC terminal of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The terminal was initially built with a design capacity of up to 10 million passengers a year which further extension to 15 million passengers a year. It was built on a fast-track basis starting in June 2005 and opened six months later. The site was actually meant for a cargo facility with aprons for aircraft already built.
Demand for AirAsia has caused a surge in the usage of LCC terminal which resulted in almost 9.5 million passengers in 2007. AirAsia was looking for room to expand its operations and decided to use a purpose-built low-cost carrier airport at a site near the current airport. It was reported in December 2008 that Sime Darby, the land owner for the new airport and AirAsia has given a green light for the building of the new airport in Labu, Negeri Sembilan. It was reported that the cost of building the airport will be totally privately funded by both AirAsia and Sime Darby.
The proposal and the speed of the cabinet giving it a green light has attracted many critics, including the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammed. Arguments against the airport include duplication of facilities with the new airport and KLIA, questioning the issues on the airport will be privately funded, as some facilities such as access road may need to be borne by the government and also proximity between the two airports.
Finally, the criticism has made the cabinet reconsider the issue, with the Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak asking AirAsia to present their case to him and other cabinet ministers and the airport operator Malaysia Airports. After the presentation, the cabinet decided that the proposal is off and asked AirAsia to work with the airport operator to build a new LCC Terminal inside KLIA.
Although there were talks that the decision on the airport has not been finalized yet, Deputy Prime Minister clarify that the project would not commence as Sime Darby lacks funds to initiate infrastructure. He also confirmed that the new LCC terminal will be built within the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Connectivity
The KLIA East @ Labu will be connected with KLIA Main Terminal by:-
A proposed 7 km branch road to link KLIA East @ Labu to KLIA and the North–South Expressway. A proposed 7 km ERL link from KLIA to KLIA East. A bus hub at KLIA East.
A 3 km KTM Komuter railway line also has been proposed from the railway station in Labu to KLIA East.
All the costs for building the airport, road and rail links will be privately financed.