KLIA's long-awaited Aerotrain returns on July 1 2025

Starting at 10am on July 1st, passengers at KLIA won’t have to take the bus to their flights. The planned 3-year upgrading project is complete, and the long-awaited aerotrain will make a return.

At the media sneak preview, Transport Minister Anthony Loke states that the system involves 3 sets of trains – two in active service during peak hours with one as backup. Each train has 3 coaches with a capacity of 90 passengers each – or 270 passengers per trip.

However, only one train will be operating during off-peak hours (12am – 5am) to allow for service and maintanence.

Addressing questions about the delay in resuming the service (originally planned for January 2025), he said:

The aerotrain was a key feature when KLIA opened in 1998. It was modern, convenient, and comfortable. But after more than two decades of loyal service, increasingly frequent technical tantrums became unavoidable. After several stalls, the decision was made to replace the train system (which also came with its own kinks).

But that’s all in the past.

The new aerotrain is in its final stage of testing, after successfully completing the critical fault-free run (FFR) and final inspection to confirm the system’s reliability and readiness. For Loke, safety is the key priority, especially because we are the Chair for ASEAN this year, and hosting Visit Malaysia Year in 2026.

Monitored by the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD), the FFR involves a rigorous validation process in which the first train is required to complete 2,000 kilometers of continuous fault-free operations, while the remaining two trains log 1,000 kilometers each. This ensures that all three trains are fully ready for live operations.

According to Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani, the Managing Director of Malaysia Airports, the days leading up to July 1st are the final stretch of preparations. This includes testing their emergency response plan, where volunteer employees participate in live trial runs to simulate passenger movement.

The shuttle bus system that’s currently in use won’t be phased out when the new aerotrains are in action. Loke says both services are the key to ensuring smooth passenger transportation between the KLIA terminals.