SEPANG: The government, through the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), will undertake a comprehensive review of the country's air traffic control system to expedite flight arrivals at Kuala Lumpur International Airport's Terminal 1 and 2.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the move aligns with the recently-launched Malaysia Aviation Decarbonisation Blueprint (MADB), which is expected to not only shorten flight times but also cut down on fuel consumption and operational costs for airlines.
"We are currently redesigning our entire airspace structure. This will significantly help airlines in terms of decarbonisation, as more efficient airspace management can contribute to reduced carbon emissions.
"This cannot rely solely on one party. All stakeholders in the aviation industry must work together," Loke said at the launch of AirAsia 'APU Off' programme here today.
AirAsia has introduced an advanced airport ground equipment that offers dual-functionality of a ground power unit (GPU) and an air condition unit (ACU) to provide for the electrical and air-cooling needs of an aircraft while it is stationary on ground before a flight and during transit.
Without adequate ground power and a performing ACU, an aircraft relies on the use of its APU to perform the same functions but this is cost and carbon-inefficient because APUs are powered by aviation turbine fuel.
"I would like to commend AirAsia for being the first airline in Malaysia to adopt the innovative combo units technology.
"The utilisation of the combo units will not only reduce 90 per cent of CO2 per transit but helps the airline reduce over 40 per cent in costs. With the deployment of AirAsia's first four combo units this month, the airline is expected to save over 3,000 tonnes of CO2 per year," said Loke.
AirAsia Aviation Group chief airport and customer experience officer Kesavan Sivanandam said this initiative will boost the company's track record on carbon emissions avoidance from operational efficiencies.
Sivanandam said AirAsia plans to deploy another 20 units nationwide at KLIA T2 and all major domestic hubs by the end of 2025.
"The environmental benefits are substantial - around 20,000 tonnes of ground-based CO2 emissions will be saved annually once we are able to deploy combo units across all our hubs in Malaysia.
"Since trialing these units early this month, we have already economised 72,000kg of aviation turbine fuel," he added.