SEPANG – KL International Airport (KLIA) is ensuring that it is ready to welcome passengers travelling under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) by Air or VTL-Air programme. The entire airport community including airlines, government agencies and service providers are ready to receive the increase in passengers and ensure that their journey is as seamless as possible. Extra measures include an additional holding lounge with 8 COVID-19 dedicated screening stations at Gate G10, on top of the existing 14 dedicated screening stations lounge at Gate G1, KLIA Main terminal. An appointed private operator has also started operating a second Health Screening Centre at Gate P4 with 5 screening stations at klia2 terminal. Both these terminals will be receiving six flights in total, carrying more than 1,300 passengers from Singapore today on the first day of the VTL-Air implementation. The six flights are operated by Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Malindo Air, Jetstar Asia, and Scoot.
Chairman of Malaysia Airports, Dato’ Seri DiRaja Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said that the airport is grateful to the government for implementing the VTL-Air Programme, “The various VTL programmes that are being implemented and planned will go a long way in helping the local aviation industry recover from the devastating impact of the pandemic. Already, we are seeing air traffic numbers increasing with the relaxation of domestic travel restrictions last month.In October, monthly domestic passenger movements across our network of airports in Malaysia increased by 226% to 1.18 million. This was significantly higher than the three months total for Q3 when it did not even reach 1 million.”
“Meanwhile, airport stakeholders are all working closely to ramp up our readiness and ensure that the quality of service remains at the highest level as we start receiving more international passengers,” he added.
VTL-Air passengers are also processed through dedicated immigration lanes. The Immigration Department of Malaysia has allocated eleven counters at KLIA Main terminal and four counters at klia2 terminal for this purpose. The baggage reclaim areas at both terminals are also segregated for better efficiency. All VTL-Air passengers are fitted with a blue wrist band upon arrival for quick identification by the airport community on their quarantine-free status. This wristband is then removed as the passengers exit the airport.
On top of that, stringent health standard operating procedures (SOPs) are already in place at the airport to ensure safety. Additional signages have also been installed to guide passengers better as they arrive at and depart from the airport. Airport staff are on hand to guide passengers in following the SOPs, as well as help control the passenger flow especially at critical checkpoints such as immigration and health screening queues. There are also dedicated airport staff patrolling the terminal to ensure that everyone complies to physical distancing and proper usage of face masks. Ambulances are also on standby at both landside and airside areas to transport passengers who are positive for COVID-19 to the nearest medical facility centre immediately.
Earlier this morning, KLIA held a special welcoming ceremony for the inaugural VTL-Air flight carrying 240 passengers on board Singapore Airlines (SQ108) which arrived at 9.25am local time. The aircraft was greeted with a water cannon salute, followed by the distribution of token gifts to all passengers disembarking from the flight. The gifts were handed out by the Dato’ Seri Zambry; Encik Mohd Zamri Mat Zain; Deputy Secretary General of Tourism, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture; Dato’ Hj. Zainuddin Abdul Wahab; Director General of Tourism Malaysia; and Dato’ Iskandar Mizal Mahmood, Managing Director of Malaysia Airports.