Aerotrain (KLIA)
| Company type | People mover system |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Kuala Lumpur International Airport , Malaysia |
Area served | Kuala Lumpur International Airport |
| Products | Driverless people mover transit service |
Aerotrain
The Aerotrain is a driverless people mover system functioning within Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Malaysia. Introduced in 1998 alongside the airport's inauguration, it links two key points: the Main Terminal Building and Satellite Building A.
Since the late 2000s, the Aerotrain has encountered various operational and maintenance difficulties, culminating in a significant malfunction in March 2023. This event caused the service to be halted for nearly two and a half years to facilitate system replacement and enhancements.
During the concluding testing stage, Transport Minister Anthony Loke declared that the system would recommence operations on 1 July 2025. On this date, the upgraded Aerotrain officially resumed service, featuring increased speed and improved dependability to better serve passengers.
General information
The Aerotrain operates fully autonomously without drivers, typically running two trains between its stations. Utilizing the Spanish solution, doors on one side open first to allow passengers to disembark, followed by doors on the opposite side opening for boarding.
A portion of its track is situated underground beneath the taxiway. The transit time between the Main Terminal Building and Satellite Terminal A is approximately 2.5 minutes.
The system supports various operational modes such as Synchronized Double Shuttle, Offset Synchronized Double Shuttle, Unsynchronized Double Shuttle, Single Shuttle, On-Call, Test Train, and Out Of Service Modes. Its core components comprise the Central Control System, Vehicle System, Station Automatic Train Operation (ATO) System, and Power Distribution System (PDS).
Maintenance occurs daily from 10am to 12pm and again from midnight to 5am. During these intervals, one train remains active while the other undergoes safety inspections. Consequently, train frequency decreases from every 2½ minutes to every 5 minutes during maintenance periods.
Rolling stock
The initial rolling stock was produced by Adtranz (which merged with Bombardier Transportation in 2001) and consists of three CX-100 trains, each comprising three cars (originally two cars), with each car accommodating 249 passengers. These trains are powered by a 600 V 3-phase AC supply at 50 Hz and driven by a DC motor regulated through a thyristor drive.
Originally operating with two trains, a third unit was introduced on 15 March 2011 to cover maintenance-related downtime after the first two had served for 13 years.
On 28 December 2021, Pestech International Bhd was awarded a contract to upgrade the Aerotrain system and oversee operations and maintenance for a decade (2025–2034). This upgrade involves replacing the CX-100 trains with newer Innovia APM 300 models.
Due to delays, the contract was re-awarded in January 2024 to a consortium comprising Alstom, IJM Construction Sdn Bhd, and Pestech Technology Sdn Bhd. The new rolling stock arrived in September 2024 with an initial reopening scheduled for January 2025. However, as of mid-January 2025, testing was still ongoing, postponing service resumption to June 2025. On 21 June 2025, Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that operations would recommence on 1 July 2025.
Incidents
From 1 November 2010 until 15 March 2011, the Aerotrain operations were halted to allow for system enhancements, during which passengers were conveyed by bus shuttles between the Main Terminal and Satellite Building.
On 25 December 2017, a train experienced a breakdown while traveling between terminals, necessitating passenger evacuation. The service persisted using a single train, supported by complimentary shuttle buses.
On 1 March 2023, the Aerotrain was suspended indefinitely following mechanical and electronic malfunctions that left 114 passengers stranded mid-route. This suspension enables the replacement of the Aerotrain fleet within a three-year timeframe, coinciding with the transition of operational management to a new contractor (refer to Rolling stock).