SEPANG: Within a year after its launch, the Mitsui Outlet Park KLIA (MOP) has hit its target of two million visitors.
As one of the projects under the KLIA Aeropolis Masterplan, the premium outlet mall has been drawing in travellers, 50 per cent of which are from ASEAN countries and topping the list of shoppers are tourists from China.
“The numbers look good for phase one,” said Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, the managing director of Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (Malaysia Airport).
He also told reporters after a media day celebration that plans are afoot for the second phase with the opening of another 60 retail outlets. Construction works for the second phase of MOP will be completed in early 2018.
According to Badlisham, the fashionable expansion plans will also include a third phase.
“We are competing with other countries in attracting visitors to Malaysia. So we need to enhance our total airport experience,” he admitted.
Despite the global economic slowdown, Badlisham said Malaysia Airport will always have its developmental budget.
“We have set aside more than RM50mil for our 60 new initiatives to be carried out till 2020,” he said.
A part of the 60 new initiatives include air-side transfer, where transit passengers between KLIA and KLIA2 will be provided with seamless connectivity.
“Since the opening of KLIA2, transfers between KLIA and KLIA2 have tripled from our original 2015 estimates of half a million to 1.5mil passengers,” said Badlisham.
In addition to that, all major airport facilities, particularly the toilets and the suraus (prayers hall), will also be given a facelift.
“KLIA is approaching 20 years old,” he explained.
“We need to refurbish the facilities. We need to upgrade the surau for our (increasing) umrah (and hajj) passengers. We need to enhance the service for our toilets. Refurbishment will be done in two years.”