The Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) began operating a few years ago and recently a new issue aroused whether to retain its name as KLIA2 or re-brand it as LCCT KL.
It was recently revealed by the AirAsia Group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes that the name LCCT KL is preferable to promote the airport as the low-cost hub in Malaysia.
“The only issue we are facing with the branding of KLIA2 is that there’s no emphasis given to promote the airport as a low-cost terminal.”
Meanwhile, the Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) warned that legal actions can be taken against the group if the airport is renamed, as it is necessary to keep the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 brand intact.
In regards to this, the Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai has announced that the group can opt to market the place as LCCT KL, but KLIA2 will remain as the official name of the airport. This decision was taken after a two-hour meeting held between the transport minister, AirAsia Group CEO, Department of Civil Aviation director-general Datuk Seri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman and AirAsia Bhd CEO Aireen Omar.
Currently, AirAsia has started promoting KLIA2 as LCCT KL. The changes can be seen on the carrier’s website where the brand LCCT KL is used instead of KLIA2.
AirAsia also further promotes LCCT KL with newspaper advertisements which say, “Fly from LCCT KL, Asia’s low-cost hub”. In a recent newsletter that was sent to its members via email, the group described LCCT KL as “Asia’s Low-Cost Hub, also known to some as KLIA2″.
The most obvious adjustment can be seen in the boarding passes which states LCCT-KLIA2 (KUL), which has created a major confusion to the public.
Prior to the development of KLIA2, the low-cost carrier was operating from LCCT Sepang, a terminal which was transformed into a cargo bay after the commencement of the new airport.
The recent confusion on the name and the mention of LCCT-KLIA2 in the boarding pass has caused several AirAsia customers to end up in the old terminal. Meanwhile, some customers were unable to decide if they should visit the old terminal or the new airport.
Meantime, the carrier is adamant in the usage of LCCT KL as it is more appropriate with its low-cost hub. The firm has also mentioned that it would spend RM20 million to promote KLIA2 as a low-cost hub in other countries.
Images: Sourced from hype.my
Mangalesri Chandrasekaran, Editor at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact her about this or other stories email mangales@propertyguru.com.my
