Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL)
History, Facts and Overview
(Sepang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
A modern airport and a recent addition to Malaysia's aviation scene, Kuala Lumpur International Airport came into existence in 1990, when it became clear that the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in nearby Sebang was unable to meet demand. The building of KUL Airport was controversial to say the least, since many considered that it was sited too far from Kuala Lumpur and that it would be possible to extend the already existing Sepang Airport. However, work went ahead and in 1993, Kuala Lumpur completed its first terminal building, Terminal 3.
Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) was officially inaugurated in 1998 and immediately suffered a series of technical problems, particularly with regards to the baggage system, which has since been resolved. In it first year, the airport serviced just over 13 million passengers, although projections had been for considerably higher numbers. These were affected more recently by the avian flu scare. In 2005 and 2006, Kuala Lumpur Airport was presented with a prestigious AERTA award for being the 'World's Best Airport' for its size, and is currently managed by the Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad.
The facilities at Kuala Lumpur Airport are modern, state-of-the-art and extremely passenger friendly. There are more than ten ATMs located around the terminal, as well as payphone booths, a series of televisions, currency exchange facilities and banks, including AMBank, EON, CIMB and Affin. A huge selection of shops is on hand and located on Level 3, Level 5, on the Contact Pier and within the Satellite Building.
Stores include the Body Shop, Candy Land, Children's Boutique, Famous Amos, the Flying Emporium, Harrods, Lacoste, Photo Processing and the Royal Selangor Pewter, selling a range of Malaysian souvenirs. When shopping, passengers will find that Kuala Lumpur Airport often hosts a series of events, competitions and theme fairs, such as the recent successful Malaysiana arts festival.
There is also an equally impressive selection of food and beverage outlets available at Kula Lumpur airport. For a quick snack, the Café Marche, Rimba Jungle Café and Starbucks coffee shop are good options, whilst for a proper sit-down meal, the Chinese-style cuisine on offer at the Eden Seafood Restaurant is hard to beat. Business and leisure facilities on hand include the e-Centre, Wi-Fi access, massages, an onsite business centre, and many airline lounges, such as the Dynasty Lounge, Emirates Lounge and the Royal Orchid Lounge. Showers and a fitness centre are also available for those with long waiting periods between connections.
