When it was announced that a new airport was to be built in Kuala Lumpur, concerns to keep the environmental and noise impact on nearby residents to a minimum, led to it being positioned within a 10km by 10km unpopulated zone on the outskirts of the city - this decision would have huge ramifications for the airport's aeropolis vision.
With 9,808 hectares of land at its disposal, of which just over one quarter (2,429 hectares) has been developed for runways, the Main Terminal Building (MTB), satellite and low-cost carrier terminals, cargo and other support facilities, the airport was sitting on a gold mine of potential opportunities.
Under KLIA's master plan, 6,477 hectares of available real estate have been set aside for future airport expansion, commercial development, recreation activities and green/buffer zones.
In its landside development plan published in 2008, KLIA earmarked 984 hectares of land for its aeropolis project to be completed over the next 10-15 years which will transform the physical and economic landscape of the airport.
A Commercial Business District, incorporating everything from office parks, retail/commercial centres, an auto mall, exposition/convention centre, hotels, service apartments, a food and beverage building, medical centre and training centre complex is to be built to the north of the airport.
An expanded 202-hectare Free Commercial Zone to house high-tech, high value, time sensitive industrial plots, logistics/warehousing centre and commercial business premises, are also planned and will represent the first integrated business park in Malaysia.
Recreational components will consist of golf courses and a clubhouse, a retirement resort, boutique hotel, outdoor training camp and even a theme park.
An innovative agro-tourism component will also be created, consisting of agro-tourism land plots to compliment KLIA's existing oil palm plantations.
Phase One of the commercial business district will begin with earthworks and infrastructure being laid for an initial 42 hectares of land to commence in the latter half of 2010. This will include a factory outlets centre, the 'Auto City', boasting showrooms and 3S (sales, services and spare parts) and an F&B facility.
The importance of the project was underlined in November 2009 when MAHB moved its head office to the commercial zone, thereby setting the pace for the development.
Meanwhile, efforts to attract investors and developers to a Free Commercial Zone and Free Industrial Zone are continuing and will be boosted by the implementation of the Asia Free Trade Agreement (AFTA).
Since the opening of KLIA, several landside projects have already been completed and will provide synergies with the aeropolis vision.
The year 1999 saw the completion of the Sepang Circuit, now an established venue for international sporting events including the Formula One (F1) World Championship and MotoGP.
Spanning some 5.5km, the track can accommodate up to 130,000 spectators with 32,000 seats in the main grand stand or corporate suites and 18,500 in the new grandstand.
Five hotels have been developed in and around KLIA to accommodate a burgeoning population of visitors such as tourists, transfer passengers and airline crews, with more to follow.
There are currently five hotels consisting of three and five stars within 10km of KLIA, ranging from the 440-room Pan Pacific Hotel connected to the MTB via a sky bridge to the 220 room Tune Hotel, catering to the low-cost traveller market, built next to the LCCT.
Low-Cost Carrier Terminal
To accommodate the growing needs of resident no-frills carriers, the dedicated Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) was built adjacent to the cargo area. Phase One to create a facility to cater to 10mppa was completed in 2006, an extension to process 15mppa was operational in 2009.
A growing trend of low-cost passenger growth has necessitated the need for a new permanent 30mppa terminal, which is now under construction.
Cargo and logistics
Within the MSC, KLIA has established the Commercial Free Zone, a sprawling 42-hectare area that houses two major cargo handlers and has the capacity to handle 1.2 million metric tonnes. The facility is currently handling 650,000 metric tonnes a year.
When the new terminal is operational, the temporary installation will revert to its previous role as a cargo-handling terminal, freeing up 64,067sqm to accommodate high-tech, high value, time sensitive industries, commercial operations and warehousing.
Upon securing free zone status, resident companies will be able to enjoy numerous benefits, unique within the wider MSC corridor within the full product cycle and supply chain process, from research and development to manufacturing, storage and distribution.
