The latest Airport Service Quality (ASQ) survey for the second quarter (Q2) of 2022 has revealed two Malaysian airports – Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Langkawi International Airpot (LGK) – as being among the global cream of the crop.
The survey conducted by the Airports Council International (ACI) handed perfect 5.00 scores to both airports, with the criteria including overall passenger satisfaction based on things such as terminal safety, on-site facilities, and overall cleanliness.
In the rankings, KLIA shared the top score with seven other airports within the 30 million passengers per annum (mppa) category, while LGK so happened to be the only airport in its category (2 to 5 mppa) to receive a perfect score.
Speaking on the high scores, Iskandar Mizal Mahmood – the managing director at Malaysia Airports – said, "It is definitely more challenging to continuously maintain a great passenger experience as we welcome more and more passengers at our airports, but we will not waver in our commitment to do so."
He also added that the top three compliments received via the survey had to do with the smooth processes at the touchpoints of the airports, the courteous on-ground assistance, and quick check-in times at the counters.
On social media, however, people were in disbelief at the rankings, with many openly doubtful about what the scores said versus what they'd experienced for themselves when at the airports – especially KLIA.
On a thread by BFM featuring the news, many were quick to point out the poor services and hospitality options at KLIA over the past few months following the resumption of flights.
Among the complaints, many were dismayed at the lack of good food options at KLIA, with others also lamenting the closure of many shops and services, including bad WiFi and an inoperative aerotrain system.
Really? In July I was there, and after going through customs, all of the food places and bars had permanently closed. There was one dodgy noodle place, Nööödles, with 90% of its menu unavailable. Literally not even McDonald’s was open anymore. Airports don’t get worse! — Jeremy Cox 🌻 (@jezzasplace) August 16, 2022
In a separate thread on Reddit created three months ago, users also blasted KLIA for its poor hygiene and inefficient processes, with some labeling the airport as "embarrassing" and "shit" while comparing it with Singapore's ostensibly better-managed Changi Airport.
The discrepancy between the high scores awarded to the Malaysian airports and opinions of actual visitors can be summed up as nothing other than amusing, and only raises the question of whether or not the landmark KLIA is currently living off past reputation.
Perhaps it's yet another case of Malaysian public facilities and infrastructure receiving insufficient attention and TLC from the country's policymakers, possibly in the same way local LRT stations have been poorly kept over the years – at least according to Malaysian netizens.
What do you think about the results? Do KLIA and LGK deserve the plaudits, or do they actually need more improvement?
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Cover image sourced from New Straits Times and Malay Mail.
