The new Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) is scheduled to open in just under one year and will be the largest low cost carrier terminal in the world, capable of handling 45 million passengers a year. This will be a welcome relief to passengers who use the current terminal, which has been the target of considerable criticism from expats upon announcement that, despite the main terminal being far from full capacity, travellers on the low cost airlines could not use it. To make matters worse, the LCCT was located quite a distance from the main terminal and was badly signposted.

A number of expats told us they missed flights because they assumed they could check in at the main airport terminal. The facilities at the LCCT were also considerably inferior to those at the main terminal and gave a rather negative image of Malaysia to first-time visitors. The new terminal should change that negative perception, offering many more facilities, more restaurants and shops, and better connectivity to public transport.

The main terminal has a capacity of 40 million passengers a year, yet has not reached that number. In 2011, it carried just over 37 million passengers and ranked as the 28th busiest airport in the world.