Baggage Handling System Failure at KLIA Causes Multi-Hour Delays; Malaysia Transport Minister Orders Investigation

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 20:46:00 +0200

A breakdown in the baggage-handling system at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 led to hours-long delays for arriving passengers on Saturday, April 18, 2026. The disruption, which lasted several hours before being resolved the same evening, affected a significant number of travelers with wait times ranging from two to four hours. Transport Minister Anthony Loke expressed strong dissatisfaction, stating that repeated lapses at Malaysia's main international gateway are unacceptable. He emphasized that Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), the airport operator, will be held accountable for the incident. The minister directed the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia to investigate the matter and consider punitive actions against MAHB. An emergency meeting has been scheduled for Monday to review standard operating procedures, including response times, passenger communication, and contingency plans. This is the second baggage system disruption at KLIA in recent weeks, fol