Risk Mitigation Plan Crucial To Prevent Further Aerotrain Breakdowns - Economist
By Kisho Kumari Sucedaram
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 (Bernama) -- Aerotrain services at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) resumed operations on July 1 after a 28-month suspension, with the promise of improving connectivity, facilitating smoother passenger movement between terminals, and eliminating disruptions.
Unfortunately, just days after resuming, the system experienced several breakdowns, much to the dismay of passengers and drawing public criticism, scrutiny, and concerns about its reliability.
To be fair to KLIA and airport operator Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), they clarified that a minor glitch occurred on July 2 when a passenger held a train door open for an extended period, causing it to become stuck.
However, the issue was rectified on the spot, and it did not cause any disruption to the service.
In another incident on July 4, MAHB said services came to a halt as one of the drainage pumps experienced a technical fault amid heavy rainfall, preventing the automatic removal of accumulated water.
A recent incident involving the KLIA Aerotrain was a 15-minute glitch on Aug 4 caused by a minor technical issue.
It took just one passenger to jam the door, but thousands use the Aerotrains daily, raising questions about whether similar “human errors” could continue to affect operations.
There were also calls from several quarters urging the Transport Ministry to establish a special committee to investigate the cause of service disruptions, which allegedly occurred at least five times since the service resumed on July 1.
The KLIA Aerotrain was suspended in March 2023 for maintenance and upgrading works after a breakdown.
Moreover, as a country with an equatorial climate and frequent rainfall, what assurance is there that another drainage pump won’t malfunction and trigger yet another “technical” issue?
Just today, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the recent disruptions at Terminal 1 were not due to mechanical failure but a minor technical glitch that was resolved promptly.
More importantly, Loke’s call for MAHB to pay “serious” attention to the contractors and vendors responsible for maintaining the service underscores the need to double efforts to prevent further disruptions.
While it may be a technical glitch, it becomes a serious national issue if Malaysia aims to continue to position KLIA as a leading regional aviation hub.
There will be greater scrutiny as Malaysia is playing host to key ASEAN summits and meetings.
The question that beckons is whether we are doing enough to ensure our airport infrastructure and, more importantly, if the maintenance culture meets international standards.
We must pull up our socks to put to rest criticism that while Malaysia’s infrastructure may be first class, its maintenance culture is third class, with management and efficiency leaving much to be desired.
In an increasingly competitive aviation landscape, we cannot afford to fall short on basics, especially after RM456 million was spent for upgrading works.
Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology economist (aviation and aerospace) Associate Professor Mohd Harridon Mohamed Suffian said it is imperative to establish a projection of the probable failures that would occur for a designated time frame.
“Within this contextual framework, a risk mitigation plan could be profoundly established based upon these projections,” he told Bernama.
Infrastructure, perception and regional standing
Mohd Harridon noted that while the root causes may vary, the repercussions were always the same - dented credibility, shaken consumer confidence and weakened asset value.
“Breakdowns or service degradations of services are, in reality, a reflection of lacklustre efforts in managing the project holistically and comprehensively.
The disruption of services leads to a decline in consumer confidence, which in turn erodes the financial value of the asset and parts of the organisation,” he said.
He pointed out that an airport’s standing on the international stage, particularly when competing with ASEAN neighbours for hub status, depends heavily on the seamlessness of its services.
“Skytrax and other global airport rankings measure performance across several verticals. A significant deflation in service value could directly affect those standings,” he said.
In other words, every glitch, delay, or suspension -- even if swiftly resolved -- gradually chips away at our reputation.
Back in 2001, KLIA was ranked the second-best airport in the world. Unfortunately, by 2013, it had fallen to 14th place.
Systemic gaps or just teething issues?
While it’s easy to attribute the breakdowns to bad luck or teething problems, the bigger picture requires scrutiny. Mohd Harridon said that the Aerotrain issues are both technical and managerial.
“If viewed narrowly, it’s a technical fault. But when observed holistically, it reveals a broader issue -- the management framework, processes, and execution need to be thoroughly examined,” he said.
From another perspective, MAHB deserves commendation for taking responsibility promptly. The airport operator quickly issued an apology to passengers affected by the technical issue with the Aerotrain and has consistently demonstrated swift action in resolving such problems.
Loke has assured the public that the new KLIA Aerotrain is operating smoothly, built in full compliance with international standards.
While the latest breakdowns may be attributed to factors beyond human control, such as weather or mechanical wear, MAHB has moved swiftly each time to rectify issues and provide passenger assistance.
But this isn’t just about fixing what’s broken. It’s about ensuring it stays fixed, especially after over two years of upgrading works.
All the more so given that KLIA is Malaysia’s primary international gateway, setting the tone for a traveller’s first and last impression of the country.
Besides this, with ASEAN summits and meetings expected to intensify from October this year, KLIA will inevitably be in the spotlight as the world is watching Malaysia.
Lessons for the long haul
Mohd Harridon stressed the need for a more structured project management methodology that incorporates expert heuristics, real-world case studies and quantitative modelling.
Heuristics refers to information used in or enabling problem-solving or decision-making.
“The framework looks good on paper, but its application requires refinement. We must alter it using structured learning from past projects and actual precedents,” he said.
As someone who recently rode the Aerotrain 10 days after services resumed, this reporter’s experience is somewhat mixed.
While it is functional, the writer felt the ride was jerky and was not smooth or stable as compared to the first Aerotrain service in operation for 25 years since 1998.
In contrast, the ride that the writer experienced at the Beijing Capital International Airport earlier that day was smooth and seamless.
China’s people mover operates smoothly, with strong connectivity, punctuality and minimal disruption, which reflects not only of engineering efficiency but also rigorous maintenance and meticulous planning.
Malaysia does not lack ambition nor the capability but what we need is consistency and a commitment to build systems not only to run but to last.
Let’s hope that the recent breakdowns are merely the final hiccups of a system finding its footing. Come October, Malaysia must be ready not only to welcome the world, but to impress upon them that we have first-class infrastructure, first-class maintenance and first-class management and, nothing less, to keep everything running seamlessly.
-- BERNAMA