Its chief executive officer Aireen Omar said the group would even bear the cost to rebrand their base after AirAsia’s original home of Low-Cost Carrier Terminal.

Last week, MAHB had shot down AirAsia’s campaign plan to rebrand KLIA2 as LCCT2, saying that it was not an independent airport or a low cost hub but KL International Airport’s (KLIA) second terminal.

AirAsia, the main tenant of KLIA2, which recently lost its position as the world’s largest low cost carrier hub to Bangkok’s Don Muaeng airport, said it would go ahead with its plans.

“I think in a way it is to put to MAHB’s mind to stop denying that we don’t matter, that we’re not relevant.

“Because the way they are behaving… is like our requests and requirements in our operations, our guests, they seem to take their time in addressing them or ignoring it,” a candid Aireen told a press conference.

She alluded to an icy relationship with the airport authority, claiming that meetings with the top management to iron out operation problems in the airport were denied.

Setbacks

AirAsia’s growth has been stunted since it moved to its new base in 2014, after restrictions placed by Malaysian Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), ranging from how to run its check-ins to the design of KLIA2, said the CEO.

She said AirAsia have not been allowed to use their own automated check-in system that was used at the previous low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT).

This caused the airline to run long on their ideal turnover period of getting passengers through checkpoints in less than 25-minutes, she said.

“Even now you see people queuing in long lines, it’s a real nightmare for anyone to check in during the peak period because there are so many people.

“We don’t understand the delay (by MAHB) to facilitate traffic. “They forced us to use their check-in system, we refuse to use it but they made us.

“Their check-in system is less superior than ours and we were able to automate from end to end (in LCCT).

“But here they gave us a very basic system and for them to enhance it they charge us.

“This is something we are very, very frustrated with,” Aireen told a press conference.

Aireen elaborated on the long-running issues of potholes and pondings on KLIA2’s tarmac that further drives up its cost of maintaining their operations there.

“Its like we are running an airline in an airport that is still under construction,” she said.

The woes do not stop there for AirAsia, she said.

Despite moving to KLIA2, its headquarters is still in the old LCCT, which has become a ghost town albeit the current construction work to redevelop the area into a logistics and cargo hub.

She said staff had to work in poorly maintained offices with construction work going on in the same building.

She said AirAsia still pays the 260,000 ringgit (US$63,631) monthly rent to operate in the vacant building, despite its value dropping since its closure.

On top of that, AirAsia pays for its own cleaners and maintenance of the building.

Aireen lamented that staff were made to walk long distances from the carpark and parking was also charged by MAHB.

“The building of our headquarters in LCCT2 was delayed because the DCA tower had to be moved. We are expecting to move in in October.

“In the meantime, we are telling MAHB that they have to let us stay here.

“Because it wasn’t our fault that the whole thing got delayed. But unforunately, the state of the building has been neglected. They have forgotten there is a tenant here,” she said.