What Made Travellers So Angry At LCCT?
LCCT Terminal was full of chaos as crowds were stuck in bottleneck queues as there was a lack of immigration officers to deal with the incoming travellers.
By Darian Goh — 05 May 2014, 11:05 AM — Updated over 10 years ago
AirAsia: "Immigration Should Have Had Adequate Counters To Cope With Passengers"
Aireen Omar said that relevant parties had known about the arrangements to have adequate counters for passengers
Image via ytimg.comThere should be adequate immigration counters operating at the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) until May 8 to cater to the high traffic volume, Air Asia chief executive officer Aireen Omar said
themalaysianinsider.com
She said the announcement on the transfer of AirAsia's operations to Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2) was made on April 15 after discussions and mutual agreement with Malaysia Airports Berhad. “We have also kept the Immigration Department well informed on the adequate facilities needed to facilitate our guests,” said Aireen.
themalaysianinsider.com
AirAsia Had Waived The Flight Change Fee For Passengers Who Missed Their Flights Due To The Long Queues
“We were made aware of the situation at the immigration counters yesterday and we feel for our guests who were affected by it. Some of them missed their flights due to the long queues and we have assisted them by waiving their flight change fee,” she said in a statement today.
themalaysianinsider.com
The Immigration Chief Has Blamed The Chaos On AirAsia, For Not Moving To KLIA 2 As Planned
The Immigration Department said the chaotic situation at the arrival hall of the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in Sepang yesterday was due to AirAsia's refusal to move to the new terminal.
themalaysianinsider.com
“The government had ordered klia2 to start operation on May 2 and LCCT to be closed. Several discussions were held with AirAsia on the matter but the low-cost carrier stood firm on its decision to only move to klia2 on May 9,” Aloyah told The Malaysian Insider.
themalaysianinsider.com
“Immigration Department could not allocate more officers to man the counters at LCCT as most were already transferred to klia2. Because of that only four autogates, and several counters at the International and Domestic Hall of LCCT were opened,” said Aloyah. She said more officers had to be deployed to klia2 because airlines have moved to the new airport except for AirAsia.
themalaysianinsider.com
According to the AirAsia website, all immigration, security and customs counters are to operate normally throughout the LCCT-KLIA2 transition period from May 2 to May 9.
malaysiakini.comOn Sunday, 4 May 2014, Travellers At LCCT Had To Face Long Lines And Delays
Tempers flared at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) as countless passengers had to contend with long lines for immigration clearance.
thestar.com.myPassengers arriving at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in Sepang had to deal with long queues in cramped and uncomfortable conditions, mainly due to a bottleneck at the immigration gates on Sunday.
This Was Due To A Lack Of Immigration Officers To Deal With The Large Crowd
Passengers contacted by Malaysiakini said that limited immigration counters were opened and no one was administering the queues.
malaysiakini.com“Besides the three autogates for Malaysian passports, only two immigration officers were on hand to manually clear passengers while the several other counters remained unmanned and empty,” she told The Star, adding that queue leading to immigration counters extended almost to the tarmac.
themalaymailonline.com
“There were only one or two counters opened for Malaysians but more than a thousand had arrived. No queues or auxilliary police to assist."
malaysiakini.comPassengers Had To Deal With Long Queues And Confusion As There Were No Clear Lines For Foreigners And Malaysians At The Immigration Counter
Long queues and no clear signage were shown to direct people to the right counter
Image via nst.com.myLawyer Tharishni Arumugam, 27, was among those who were caught in the chaos. “There seemed to be no immigration officer when I landed at about 4pm. I wasn’t quite sure what was going on,” she said.
thestar.com.my“I wasn’t sure which queue was meant for holders of Malaysian passports or those that were meant for international passports,” she said.
thestar.com.myThe Lack Of Immigration Officers Was Due To Splitting Of Manpower Between LCCT And KLIA 2
Immigration officers were being deployed to KLIA 2, causing a shortage of manpower in LCCT
Image via freemalaysiatoday.comFormer Bernama chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Annuar Zaini, who arrived at 4pm from Shenzhen, China, was shocked to see the chaos there. He described the situation "unprofessional" and lacking in coordination by AirAsia, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) and the Immigration Department.
nst.com.my
"When I asked the Immigration officer why there were limited counters, he replied that they had to split the manpower between LCCT and Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (Klia2)." Annuar said the officer's reply was baffling and reflected on the authorities' failure to coordinate operations.
nst.com.my
According To Malaysia Airports Sdn Bhd, 17 Counters Were Opened For Immigration During That Time
Only 3 autogates were open for thousands of passengers in addition to a 14 other counters
Image via bloomberg.comMAHB senior general manager (operations) Datuk Azmi Murad said there were no issues concerning the operating system in LCCT as they ensured the infrastructure was working well. "I was at klia2 when I was notified about the situation in LCCT. Upon checking with the Immigration Department, I was told 17 counters were opened during the peak hours, from 3pm to 5pm."
nst.com.my
"Ten counters are for international flights, four domestic and three autogate," Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) senior general manager (Operations Division) Datuk Azmi Murad said to Bernama here today.
mysinchew.comTensions And A Few Scuffles Happened Due To Frustration And Also Queue Cutting
She said a few tussles nearly broke out as tensions rose. "People could be heard shouting aggressively. I figured it was because some were cutting lines," she said.
"It took me 50 minutes to clear Immigration and there was no system or belt to indicate the queuing line. The crowd was getting impatient and unruly, and shouting.
nst.com.my
“One VIP was allowed to pass through with his family resulting in shouts from others. People were screaming, 'We are taxpayers, too!' “This is Malaysia Airports' fault. We pay airport taxes so they should provide us with service,” she said when contacted.
malaysiakini.comDim Lighting And Faulty Air Conditioning And Escalators Also Contributed To The Chaos
Melodie Yap's Instagram is among those who posted video clips of the crowded terminal. “OMG. What is wrong with LCCT? Doesn’t mean that if klia2 is starting then you stop most of your services here at LCCT. “No air conditioning, escalator is not working and there is not even a queue line for people to line up. People are quarrelling here also,” wrote Yap of the scene in LCCT.
themalaysianinsider.com
She also said passengers encountered out-of-order escalators, dim lighting and barely working air-conditioning.
themalaymailonline.com