AirAsia blasts Kuala Lumpur for 'sinking' new airport terminal

A brand new passenger terminal at Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur International Airport is "sinking."

That's according to the CEO of Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia, which is the biggest operator from the airport's new low-cost terminal that opened in May 2014.

"The airport is still sinking," AirAsia CEO Aireen Omar tells Bloomberg News. She adds Malaysia Airports Holdings, which operates the airport, "has done some partial resurfacing, but what the airport actually needs is a permanent solution."

FULL REPORT: Kuala Lumpur's $1 billion terminal is sinking, airline says

AirAsia's Malaysia flights operate out of Kuala Lumpur's new low-cost airline terminal, dubbed klia2. The carrier reluctantly shifted its schedule to the new terminal when it opened last year. The settling of the pavement at the new terminal has led to visible cracks in taxiways and has created areas of ponding during rain, according to Bloomberg.

Malaysian officials have been looking into the issue since late last year.

AirAsia has warned the problems could cause flight delays as well as increase wear and tear on aircraft. If it worsens, it could become a safety problem, Aireen said to Bloomberg in an interview.

Despite that, Mohshin Aziz – an analyst at Malayan Banking in Kuala Lumpur – tells Bloomberg that while the ponding is visible "with your very own eyes, … it's more of an irritation rather than a safety hazard."

But that hasn't stopped Tony Fernandes – the founder and CEO of the broader AirAsia Group – from speaking out on the subject. Fernandes was particularly vocal via Twitter, addressing the subject in a series of tweets.

"sad that my ceo @aireenomar has to waste her time keep going to malaysia airports to sort something that should never have happened," Fernandes said in one tweet.

"The response from malaysia airports that this is to be expected is ridiculous.The board and management need a strong hard look at themselves," he added in another.

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