Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur airport undergoes $7M upgrade

The airport received 30.1 million passengers in the first half of this year, a 9.9% increase year-on-year, according to Abd Hasman Abd Muhimim, its general manager of operations.

Malaysian authorities expect the upgrades to help speed up queues times and improve operational efficiency at various touchpoints, The Star reported.

The main upgrades include the introduction of paramedics on e-scooters to speed up emergency responses.

Positioned at strategic spots in both the main and satellite terminals, the scooters are outfitted with oxygen tanks, trauma kits and automated external defibrillators, according to Business Today.

To improve mobility and accessibility, the airport has added 50 new wheelchairs to the existing 50 at key areas throughout the terminal.

A mobile bag-drop system has been implemented on a trial basis, allowing the handling of 10 times more luggage than traditional counters.

At the domestic security checkpoint, the addition of enhanced tray lanes and unpack/repack zones has boosted screening capacity to 1,500 passengers per hour, cutting wait times to less than five minutes.

Self-service options have been expanded, with nine automated boarding pass scanners now available at international air-side entry points, up from six manual lanes previously.

To ensure smoother departures, two more immigration priority counters have been added.

Malaysia's largest and busiest airport is a major international hub that handled 57.08 million passengers in 2024 to rank 26th globally, according to British aviation data provider OAG.

In the first quarter of this year Malaysia had led Southeast Asia with 10.1 million tourist arrivals followed by Thailand with 9.55 million, Vietnam with six million, and Singapore with 4.3 million.