Modelled after London's Heathrow express, the new service will transfer passengers to the new KLIA East@Labu, to be built by 2011.

Officials from AirAsia met KTM Bhd's leaders last week to discuss the new express service.

This service will be provided along KTMB's north-south passenger backbone, which will allow passengers from the Klang Valley and other parts of Peninsular Malaysia, served by the KTMB rail link, to fully utilize the new LCCT.

KTMB has an existing station in Labu and a new spur line, costing between RM20 and RM30 million, will be built from the station to the new LCCT, located some 3km away.

Both AirAsia Chief Executive Officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes and KTMB Chief Executive Officer Abdul Radzak Abd Malek confirmed having discussions on the rail link project.

"KLIA East@Labu will have strong infrastructure links because we believe that low-cost travel does not begin at the airport, but from the moment you step out from your house", said Fernandes.

KLIA East@Labu is about 7 km from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) main terminal building and will be built by the property arm of Sime Darby Berhad.

Under its final expansion phase, the new LCCT will have a capacity of 15 million passengers a year, a figure industry sources say is likely to be exceeded by 2011.

AirAsia and AirAsia X are expected to carry 19 million passengers in 2011 and nearly 30 million passengers in 2015.

The New Straits Times

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