Fernandes' 'powerful' request

Malaysia Airports releases two letters written by Tony Fernandes and Bashir Ahmad addressing the issue of the baggage handling system.


MORE than an hour after posting a conciliatory message on its website, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) released two letters written by AirAsia Bhd's Tan Sri Tony Fernandes and MAHB's Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad addressing the issue of the baggage handling system (BHS).

In a press statement released to the media late yesterday, in rebuttal to AirAsia press release distributed earlier, MAHB attached a letter written by Fermandes, AirAsia chief executive officer, requesting for the BHS in KLIA2 to be upgraded to a "powerful" fully automated one.

The letter was dated June 16, 2011.

In it, Fernandes wrote that AirAsia would prefer the installation of the most sophisticated fully automated BHS at the new LCCT.

In the letter to Bashir, Fernandes stated that AirAsia recognised that the decision might have certain impact on the current work at the new LCCT.

"We trust Tan Sri (Bashir) will understand and support AirAsia's decision, since it will result in significant benefits to AirAsia, MAHB and the nation as a whole," Fernandes said before signing off.

This letter is at odds with one quoted by AirAsia in its press statement yesterday, which has AirAsia X chairman Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz stating that the decision to implement a fully automated BHS was made unilaterally by MAHB and that the six-month delay to the completion of KLIA2 could not be attributed to AirAsia.

MAHB, however, explained this via a second letter in response to Rafidah's note.

In it, Bashir noted that while AirAsia and MAHB had come to an agreement that AirAsia would be willing to settle for a less sophisticated BHS in the interest of reducing the impact to the timeline and cost of the new LCCT, MAHB had said it would defer to the decision of the MAHB board.

The board later decided on the more sophisticated BHS and this was communicated to AirAsia in a meeting on July 6, 2011.

The statement by MAHB also highlighted that a total of 47 meetings had been held between MAHB and AirAsia since April last year to discuss and address all of AirAsia's requirements.

A workshop with all stakeholders, including AirAsia, was also held in September 2009, where the Needs Statement for KLIA2 was formulated.

"The full agreed minutes of these meetings will better reflect the detailed discussions held between Malaysia Airports and AirAsia on the development of KLIA2," MAHB said.

Other issues raised in AirAsia's press statement were not addressed.