Bernie,
Same old s*** here in Malaysia. The first day of operations at the new KLIA airport and what happens?
Passenger check-in system breaks down. Passengers had to be checked in by hand. Two hour delays.
Arriving planes flew in holding patterns for as long as 1 1/2 hours.
The first arriving international passengers (from Cairo) "were seen wandering in search of the right baggage carousel". There were no signs and only one flight information terminal was working.
Additionally arriving passengers encountered no signs to direct them to ground transportation.
"Although Malaysia Airlines had trained about 200 of its staff to be "ambassadors", or volunteers to help passengers with enquiries, only a few of these were there.
Passengers seeking directions or help finally made there way to the Passenger Assistance Centre on the third floor. Problem was: it was unmanned.
A reporter chased down a manager of the above mentioned centre. He claimed that he was new on the job and had been given no training or trial run.
Once arriving passengers found the ground transport limo service desk they ended up waiting an hour for a ride. The problem? Limo drivers who were issued special coupons to fill up their vehicles with gasoline were unable to do so when a power outage shut down the pumps. (This, by the way, is the limo company who has the singular franchise to haul passengers fromm the airport...another crony deal that Mahatir so vehemently denies occurs here. It is also the same limo service I will have to use to go to the airport when I fly. No choice in the matter. It means I can no longer use the old Chinese uncle I have been using. Myself and another regular airport passenger here in the neighborhood accounted for a regular monthly income flow of 450 Rm for this fellow. He told me that the new airport limo rules would mean that he could no longer pay for his daughter to go to school. Now he will be forced to rely solely on hustling trips around town.)
Passengers, informed of delays of up to four hours in their departures went in search of food. There was none. The concessions had not opened.
Parking bays were not operating properly. People trying to enter the parking bays had to wait as long as two hours to get a parking ticket.
Mahatir, who took one of the earliest flights out in the morning to Langkawi (his pet resort island) flew back in the evening and jumped in to the melee to give personal instructions to management of the airport. (I am quite sure he brought calm and order to the whole situation Bernie. After all, we all know he is much experienced in running airports...right???)
Asked about the problems Malaysia Airport Managing Director Datuk Khairuddin Ibrahim said "this was the first day of the new airport. There are bound to be some problems".
As usual Mahatir's pointing finger was in prime shape. When asked if he were confident the problems would be solved he simply said : "I am confident. I won't say within the next few hours ... But there were other new airports which could not function at all when they were opened."
Bernie, you flying when you take your home leave this week? Maybe a cruise ship would be better? Want a lift to Singapore? Looks like I am driving instead of flying.
Best,
Stitch
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