PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today praised the performance of the newly upgraded Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Aerotrain, describing it as “good… faster than before,” during a working visit to Terminal 1 prior to his departure for a three-nation diplomatic tour.
Accompanied by Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook and Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) managing director Datuk Mohd Izani Ghani, Anwar rode the modernised driverless train from the Contact Pier to the Satellite Building, where he received a technical briefing on the system’s overhaul under the RM742 million Airport Regeneration Plan.
The RM456 million Aerotrain upgrade, featuring Alstom Innovia APM 300R trainsets, resumed full operations earlier today. Each three-car unit can carry up to 270 passengers and travel at speeds of up to 56 km/h, reducing transfer time between terminals to under three minutes.
Mohd Izani noted that the system underwent six months of safety and performance testing by the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) before today’s launch.
The Aerotrain is vital for KLIA’s 100,000 daily passengers, particularly international travellers transiting via the satellite terminal. Its renewal is part of MAHB’s broader efforts to ready KLIA for Visit Malaysia Year 2026 and restore pre-pandemic traffic levels.
Anwar embarks on visits to Italy, France and Brazil
Following the Aerotrain visit, the Prime Minister departed from KLIA at 2.15pm on a chartered Malaysia Airlines flight, beginning a high-level tour to Italy, France and Brazil.
The mission begins with a three-day official visit to Italy at the invitation of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — Anwar’s first to the country — aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and global economic cooperation.
In Rome, Anwar will be accompanied by five cabinet ministers: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Transport Minister Anthony Loke, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, and Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz. Deputy Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir is also part of the delegation.
In Paris, Anwar is scheduled to meet French President Emmanuel Macron, with discussions to centre on trade, technology, and education. He will also engage with French industrial leaders in a roundtable, meet with Malaysian diaspora and Islamic community leaders, and deliver a public lecture at Sorbonne University on 4 July.
The visit will conclude in Rio de Janeiro, where the Prime Minister is attending the 17th BRICS Summit at the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Malaysia joins as a partner country, alongside its role as ASEAN Chair in 2025.
At the summit, Anwar is expected to underline Malaysia’s commitment to multilateralism, responsible artificial intelligence governance, climate action, and global health — priorities that represent the aspirations of over 650 million people in the ASEAN region.
Malaysia’s total trade with the three nations stood at RM50.91 billion (USD11.14 billion) last year. The Prime Minister is also accompanied by a high-level business delegation, including representatives from Petronas, Khazanah Nasional, TNB, Maybank, FGV, YTL Power, and Sunway. - July 1, 2025
