Single counter for immigration clearance, check-in for elite passengers

PUTRAJAYA: KLIA will become the world’s first airport to provide immigration clearance and check-in services through a single counter. It will be exclusive to Malaysia Airlines’ First Class and Enrich Platinum passengers and is expected to kick off in July.

The initiative is in line with KLIA’s efforts to strengthen its position as one of the top airports in the world in terms of Immigration service. KLIA’s service was acknowledged in the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2011 for Best Airport Immigration Service. It was the second consecutive win for the airport.

“These passengers will be escorted from the check-in counter by MAS personnel through a special route to the departure area and will be given VVIP treatment,” said KLIA Immigration director Mohd Zulfikar Ahmad. He said the service was also provided for arrivals of Malaysia Airlines’ First Class and Enrich Platinum passengers at the airport, with passengers escorted to special counters for Immigration checks.

“Passengers boarding the new A380 aircraft in July will be the first to enjoy this new service,” he said. MAS will be the world’s eighth airline to use the “super jumbo” Airbus A380, the world’s largest jetliner with 494 seats.

There are currently 46 immigration counters at the departure hall and another 48 at the arrival hall. Mohd Zulfikar said one counter from both the arrival and departure halls would be converted into special counters for the new service.

“On average, every passenger at the Premier Lane for departure and arrival waits for about 10 minutes for immigration checks during peak hours. “With this dedicated new lane, the waiting time will be an average of two minutes,” he said, adding that the airlines would also be looking at extending the service to Business Class passengers.

-thestar online.