Chennai to Kuala Lumpur Flights

  About Chennai

Chennai falls in the top 10 cities of India with an illustrious history and thriving heritage. The 369-year-old city is one of the most developed cities in India and stands proudly as the capital of Tamil Nadu. Formerly known as Madras, the city of Chennai is known for its glorious history, arts and culture and its ardent enthusiasm towards automobiles. The city is also known as India's health capital as attracts the highest number of foreign tourists with 45 percent catering to health. The thriving city's melange of a modern vibe and traditional roots makes it one of the best urban cities in the world. The airport has excellent flight connectivity to and from Chennai and other domestic and international cities. You can make your flight bookings to Chennai as well as find a range of hotels to book from in the city.

Best time to visit Chennai

As Chennai is a tropical city located by the coast, the temperatures are incredibly high. Even the seasons are binary. The summers in Chennai are between April to June but is hot for the rest of the year too. The monsoon season in Chennai takes place twice in a year. While it receives scanty rainfall between June to September (as opposed to the rest of the country, which receives bountiful rain), the months from October to December see heavy rain in the city, owing to the north-east monsoon. The climate is hot and humid all-round the year, but December is the most pleasant time in the year to visit Chennai.

Places to visit in Chennai

Beaches

As Chennai rests comfortably on the coastal parts of Tamil Nadu, the city has some pristine beaches to check out. Touted to be the second-largest urban beach in the entire world, the Marina Beach is the jewel of Chennai with a shoreline of 12 km long. The sandy shores of the beach teamed with the exquisite Colonial buildings on the street-side make for quite a spectacle.

While Marina Beach is more on the populous side, to enjoy the serenity of a quieter beach, you can visit Edward Elliot's beach and Breezy Beach, to name a few. These beaches are quaint and attract individuals who need to step away from the city's bustle. The peaceful ambience of these beaches has turned into quite the tourist attractions in Chennai.

Temples

The temples in Chennai are centuries old and found aplenty. Every corner of the street has at least one temple. These temples have fascinating stories and exquisite architecture. The temples are known to have a specific structure in South India with detailed gopurams, enormous water tanks in the back of the temple, domestic animals such as cows and dogs, hawkers selling toys and snacks, quaint ponds and shrines of several deities. Some of the famous temples in the city that you can visit are the Kapaleeswarar Temple, the Parthasarathy Temple, Sri Ramakrishna Math-Universal Temple, Kumaran Kundram and Karaneeswarar temple.

The city is also home to a bunch of churches and mosques. In fact, the Basilica of the National Shrine of St. Thomas can be found in Chennai. The shrine is believed to be built over the tomb of St Thomas the Apostle, who had visited India in 52 AD. After his death, the saint's body is said to have been buried under the same spot where the Basilica now stands. Other notable churches and mosques include St. Thomas Mount, St. Mary's Church, Big Mosque (Wallajah Mosque) and more.

Museums and Monuments

Chennai's rich culture is reflected not just from the slew of temples and coastal delights but also the monuments and museums in the city. Since the city was also under the direct influence of the British East India Company, much of the architecture, culture and infrastructure have an English vibe. Visit the National Government Museum to learn more about the city's history. You can further go on an artistic voyage by visiting the National Art Gallery, which is more than 100 years old.

Ecological parks

Another major highlight of the city is the number of ecological parks and gardens that can be explored. The city runs a crocodile preservation park as well as a snake park called the Guindy Snake Park. Sprawled across 280 hectares of land is the Guindy National Park which is known to be the smallest national park in India. While the national park is inhabited by very few flora and fauna, it does hold a dedicated space to preserve reptiles and other amphibian species. Besides these two, one can opt to visit the Arinjar Anna Zoological Park, also known as Vandalur Zoo, which is located in the outskirts of the city.

Things to do in Chennai

Chennai is heavily invested not just in the automobiles but also the literary, arts and culture fields. To them, dance and music play a significant role in their daily lives. In fact, the city also observes a bunch of festivals such as Madras Music Season, Madras Day, The Hindu Lit for Life and Chennai Book Fair to commemorate some of their indulgences. These events are a rage and definitely worth attending. You can visit some of the music and dance functions held by the Nungambakkam Cultural Academy Trust, The Music Academy in TTK Road, Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha and Indian Institute of Music and Arts to name a few.

Another fun activity to take up would be to watch a movie of a South star at one of the single-screen or even a multiplex. The fervour of fandom during the release of their favourite celebrity's movie release is euphoric and definitely worth experiencing. As for bibliography enthusiasts, you can visit the Theosophical Society to explore the library set by Anne Besant. There are various malls with high-end fashion brands that you could check out. Or you can always go to Pondy Bazaar in T Nagar to shop silk ensembles and golden accessories.

Food and Restaurants in Chennai

T Nagar and Anna Nagar in Chennai are known market places with many food and restaurant options too. In fact, some of the best joints in the city can be found here. One of the most popular restaurants, Saravana Bhavan, is a must-visit to get the best of South Indian vegetarian food. Sri Anandam Hotel, Geetha Cafe in Pondy Bazaar, Rathna Cafe in Triplicane and Karpagambal Mess in Mylapore are some of the best restaurants that will you give quite the experience of the delicious South Indian cuisine. Dakshin and Southern Spice also offer tasty food.

However, if you do wish to explore a little more, Mansuk's shop in T Nagar is known to emulate Mumbai-chaat and Gujarati Thali. For sweets and desserts, you must let your tastebuds acquaint with Mysore Paks, Tarti Paal and other such sweets, which you will find at Sri Krishna Sweets and Aavin corners. DOJO Kulfis is also a famous hub for traditional ice creams such as kulfi, faloodas and smoothies.

How to reach Chennai

By Air

After Delhi airport and Mumbai airport, the Chennai airport is the third most active airport in India for domestic as well as international departures and arrivals. The airport is divided into two terminals, the Anna Terminal reserved for international flights and the Kamraj Terminal for domestic flights. Located in the same long stretched airport, the flight connectivity to and from Chennai is excellent.

Not just domestic but even international cities are well-connected with Chennai. Major international flight routes from Chennai to cities such as London, Frankfurt, Singapore, Malaysia, the Middle East, New York, Hong Kong, etc. can be reached as flights are available from Chennai Airport. Since Chennai is one of the busiest cities in India, the flight demands are also quite high. Make your flight bookings to Chennai months in advance to avoid high ticket costs.

Another perk of the Chennai airport is how it is well-connected with the city too. While it is located in the outskirts, the airport has a Metro which directly connects with the main city, making travelling far more convenient.

By Rail

There are two central stations which connect Chennai to other major cities in the country. Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore are the two central stations with regular trains entering and exiting the city from different parts of India. While Chennai Central is known to connect the city to other cities, Chennai Egmore has intercity trains that run regularly. Interestingly, both the stations are well-connected with the Chennai airport.

Chennai Central sees trains coming in from cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Madurai, Ahmedabad and Coimbatore daily. Since the rail connectivity is so good, it is often considered by travellers. You must book your rail tickets well in advance as the demand is always high to travel to Chennai.

By Road

The city's bus station is touted to be one of the largest in Asia. Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) is a state-owned property and provides transport services to a plethora of destinations in the South of India. Located in the main city, there are several direct buses to the airport as well as the Egmore station. Considered to be a cheap and affordable means of travelling, you can visit Chennai as long as your location is in the neighbouring states. The travel time to Pondicherry, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Tirupati, Trivandrum, etc. is considerably low.

  About Kuala Lumpur

When you think of Malaysia, only two names crop up, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Touted to be a fancy holiday destination, Kuala Lumpur is the capital of the lovely country of Malaysia. With dominating skylines and alluring sights, the city manages to attract tourists all-round the year. Christmas and New Year celebrations especially, in Kuala Lumpur, are legendary and certainly something you should indulge in. The streets are decked up, and purveyors and locales are full of life.

Best time to visit Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is located quite close to the equator, which results in the city being perpetually hot and wet. The city only witnesses summers and monsoons with very mild to non-existent winters. Out of the unfavourable weather though, the month's May to July are pleasant. It is relatively dry during these months, which helps enjoy the brisk sun and dry weather. The city looks very lively during these months as the sky is clearer and the sun rays can touch the streets. The hotel prices during this time are comparatively high as it is the peak season. You might have to deal with some exorbitant hotel rates in Kuala Lumpur. While there might be some options for cheap hotels in Kuala Lumpur, for that you might want to make prior bookings. It will enable you to save up on a lot of money and ensure that you get some great deals as well.

May through August also enables easier access to tourist attractions within the city. You can enjoy places like Sunway Lagoon Park and more without having to deal with excess sun's rays and wet weather. Of course, it is going to be hot most of the time with temperatures standing between 30 to 35 degree Celsius. However, the nights are pleasant, and the dry weather helps feel at ease. December through February is also considered to be a good time to visit Kuala Lumpur. The holiday spirit is strong with the city during these months. Not just the universally recognised holidays but you can also indulge in some of the Malaysian holidays and festivals like Chinese New Year and Thaipusam Festival.

Places to visit in Kuala Lumpur

A trip to Kuala Lumpur should always start with checking out the city's major highlight, the Petronas Twin Towers. The twin skyscrapers in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur were once the tallest buildings in the world before they were surpassed by Taipei 101. Batu Caves is another important landmark in Kuala Lumpur which is a series of caves made up of limestones with temples within them. The shrine is dedicated to the Hindu god, Lord Murugan and is one of the biggest and most popular Hindu temples. The celebrations of Thaipusam take place here annually. Another intriguing building in Kuala Lumpur is the Menara Kuala Lumpur, which is a communication centre that stands at the height of 421 meters. It is the seventh-tallest freestanding tower recognised worldwide. The Dataran Merdeka is also an exciting attraction in Kuala Lumpur. It is located bang opposite the Sultan Abdul Samad Building.

Kuala Lumpur Bird Park is quite an interesting place that would definitely marvel you. It is acknowledged as the largest covered bird park in the world. In fact, within the bird park, you can actually choose from the slew of bird watching sections that range from flamingos to parrots to hornbill. The park also houses the famous Indian blue peacocks, cockatoos, parakeets and eagles, to name a few. One of the city's cultural heritage is the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. Even though the Moorish-style building holds no political or historical significance, it still manages to garner a lot of attention. The evenings here are exceptional as the building is decked up with lights and pizzazz. The National Mosque Of Malaysia is also a fine structure that would impress you. The architecture of the mosque is beautiful and depicts the Islam culture in its full glory. You should definitely go around the structure and soak in the brilliance of the religious infrastructure. It certainly is a beauty.

Things to do in Kuala Lumpur

For folks travelling from India, it would be silly to visit another locality that is inspired by the country. However, Kuala Lumpur's version of Little India will impress you. From bright decorations to Indian brands nestled in the area, the place would definitely get your attention. Similarly, you should also visit Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur to soak in all the dozens of restaurants and food joints that are heavily influenced by the Chinese. From Reggae Nar to indulging in some traditional laksa and curry noodles, this part of the city will amaze you and your stomach. Speaking of the stomach, Jalan Alor is a haven for foodies who wish to explore the street food culture of Kuala Lumpur. The place is practically lit with too many street food dishes set up by hawkers. They are cheap and too delicious. It is quite an experience worth exploring. Of course, there is room for shopping in Kuala Lumpur too as Berjaya Times Square is the spot with all kinds of entertainment.

Food and Restaurants in Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur's Oversea Restaurant is undoubtedly the most famous and a favourite among food critics too. From its flavourful char siu to the perfectly-cooked ham yue fah lam poh, the restaurant brings a lovely melange of flavours in a quaint environment. You can find a paradisiacal Indian restaurant in Kuala Lumpur too as Bala's Banana Leaf is a delight. With a spacious establishment, the food is a little trip down the South of India in Malaysia. Much like how the traditional South Indian food is served on a banana leaf, the same idea is followed at Bala's where you are blessed with lip-smacking dishes such as curries from lentils, fish, crab and vegetables made from spinach, cucumber and yogurt. The seafood here is a major seller. Get yourself a lovely Malaysian breakfast spread at Kedai Makanan Nam Chun. It is the best and ultimate comfort food, as stated by many food critics. Kuala Lumpur also welcomes French cuisine's succulent dishes at Entier at Alila Bangsar.

The ride continues as more restaurants are introduced to satiate your food cravings in Kuala Lumpur. Excelling in the noodle business is Albert Lai's Yung Kee Beef Noodles. The establishment serves the best rice noodles in beef broth with brisket, tendon and other cuts of beef. It is comfortable and soothing to the soul. The city also has room for Japanese cuisine as Sushi Azabu has been installed here. You can find the delicious ramen, tempura, sushi, yakitori and more statement dishes from the Japanese kitchen. Not just Japanese but Kuala Lumpur also has Pizzeria Dihyang, an Italian retreat where you will find some exquisite traditional Italian food, including pizza made from a wood-burning oven. It is quite a perfect setting and something you will certainly enjoy.

How to reach Kuala Lumpur (Transportation)

Flight connectivity to Kuala Lumpur is quite convenient and regular. Malaysia is recognised worldwide as one of the best tourist destinations, owing to its wide beaches and lovely weather. With cities like Singapore and Kuala Lumpur nestled perfectly on the shores of the country, it is not surprising that Malaysia receives a lot of tourists from India. The fact that the demand is high enables many airlines to provide flights from India to Kuala Lumpur. Airlines such as Malindo Air, Malaysia Airlines, GoAir, IndiGo, Srilankan Airlines, SpiceJet, AirAsia, Singapore Airlines, Silkair, Thai Airways, Vistara, to name a few, have regular flights from India. You can also find direct and nonstop flights to Kuala Lumpur from Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, among a few cities. Malindo Air and Malaysia Airlines are two prominent airlines that have special direct flights reserved for Kuala Lumpur from India. The most popular route chosen for Kuala Lumpur is from Thailand or Singapore. In fact, Singapore and Colombo are some of the international routes that have amazing connectivity with Kuala Lumpur. Often a majority of tourists root for these city connections to reach Kuala Lumpur if they fail to snag the direct flight tickets.

The flight tickets to Kuala Lumpur are very cheap. In fact, you can round off your trip to and from Kuala Lumpur for less than INR 30,000. You wouldn't even need to make any special adjustments with respect to the connectivity of the flight or duration. These prices can be availed on direct nonstop flights to Kuala Lumpur. It only takes about five hours and thirty minutes to reach Kuala Lumpur from India. Plus, you will find some convenient time to catch the flight, so it doesn't mess with your travel schedule too. Make your flight bookings to Kuala Lumpur online to avail some of the benefits. While you are making flight bookings, you can also reserve your hotels in Kuala Lumpur to get some discounts or online deals. There are many provisions of combo deals available online. Depending on which season you pick for your trip to the city, you will be able to snag some amazing online flight deals and cheap hotel prices too, in Kuala Lumpur. It is best to make prior flight and hotel bookings in Kuala Lumpur as the city is quite expensive and you will need all the money to spend on the holiday.

  About Chennai Airport

Chennai International Airport serves as the international airport to the city of Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu. The airport is situated in Tirusulam, which is about 21 km away from the city centre. It has been recognised as the third busiest airport in the country in terms of international traffic as well as cargo capacity. The airport falls behind New Delhi and Mumbai to be on the list of the busiest airport. The Chennai International Airport is also the fourth busiest in India, with respect to passenger traffic and follows New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. In India, the airport falls in the top five list of busiest international and domestic airports. The Chennai International Airport has also been acknowledged as the 49th busiest on the Asia level, becoming one of the four top cities to be on the top 50 Asia list. The airport is perfectly connected with Chennai Metro as well as Tirusulam railway station, which falls in the Chennai Suburban Railway line.

About Chennai Airport Terminals

The airport has two terminals which have been named after the state's former chief ministers. The domestic terminal is also known as K. Kamaraj while the international terminal is named C. N. Annadurai. They are interconnected by a building. The building now serves as an older international block that deals with administrative offices, along with a restaurant. The whole stretch is one linear structure that was built additionally as Anna terminal (T3) was brought about in 1988 to align with the Kamaraj terminal (T1). The first domestic terminal that was built at the Chennai airport had two aero-bridges. This was considered a milestone as the Chennai airport became the first one in the country to have aerobridges in the domestic terminal. Terminal 1 and 2 are not used for passenger traffic any more. They have been reserved for cargo. Meanwhile, the newly built Terminals 3 and 4 serve the international departures and arrivals. Annadurai terminal deals with international passengers. The terminal has about 45 check-in counters, 38 immigration booths with 16 at the departure terminal and 22 at the arrivals and 18 customs counters which are at the departure as well as arrival terminal.

About airport authority

Earlier, the Civil Aviation Department handled the Chennai Airport in 1952. However, the operations were later taken over by the Airports Authority of India in 1972. Since then, there have been extensive infrastructural development plans and schemes that have been conducted. Much recently, the airport underwent some extensive construction to modernise the amenities prevalent in the airport. The new international terminal (T4), was built just while ago. Simultaneously, the existing international terminal (T3) was renovated, and a second runway was extended. The parallel runway also includes new taxiways, parking bays as well as a cargo terminal. The Airports Authority of India is responsible for working on the designs, maintenance and management of the airport. Not to mention how AAI brings forth funds to expand the development projects and schemes for the airport. The statutory body has also introduced two sustainable gardens which have been installed within the airport premises. Along with this, they have worked towards many other expansions.

Facilities at the Chennai Airport

Child care rooms: The Chennai airport has reserved specific rooms for mothers with infants. The space is perfect for feeding, changing table and other such activities to take care of the kids. The room is perfectly maintained and is regularly sanitised.

Wheelchair services: The airport also has wheelchair services that have been reserved for senior citizens, expectant mothers and passengers with medical ailments. You can find these services at the departure and arrival gates of both the terminals.

WiFi: WiFi services have also been provided at the airport. There is free WiFi that is available for close to 45 minutes in the premise. You can also find paid services of WiFi for better connectivity and longer duration of access. You will need an Indian phone number to get hold of the services.

Medical aid: The airport also has special medical kits and rooms available for emergencies. To ensure that emergency cases are tended to with prompt medical assistance, there are kits and services available at close intervals. There are health scan facilities also available at the airport to get a better understanding of the medical concern if need be.

Prayer rooms: Multi faith rooms have been reserved for passengers. The prayer rooms are open for people of all faith as there are religious books also present in the hall. These rooms can also be used as meditation halls.

Lost and found: Lost and found facilities are also available at the airport premise. Details of the same can be received at the information desk. A few dedicated spaces have been allotted at close intervals for lost and found desks.

ATMs and Forex: The airport has a slew of ATM kiosks and foreign exchange counters at regular intervals to help passengers. In case you are running short of cash or need to exchange some currency, you can find counters at the airport.

Post Office: One of the cool facilities that the airport has is postal services. There are courier services and post offices in the airport vicinity. You can find them at both the terminals. This can be ideal for last-minute mails and documents that need to be sent out.

Restaurants and cafes:

Chennai airport has a bunch of hotels and famous food establishments. The airport cafeteria has many options to choose from for food. From Indian cuisine to dishes from the international kitchen, there are many choices that can be made for food while you wait to board the flight.

Smoking zone: The airport has dedicated smoking rooms too. The rooms also have provisions for cigarette boxes, in case passengers run out of them or need to purchase them.

Baggage wrapping: The luggage facilities at Chennai airport are also good. Aside from trolley services and luggage counters to store them, the airport also has baggage wrap services. The airport is equipped with professional staff that package the bags with plastic to avoid various concerns ranging from baggage mishandling to thefts.

VIP lounge: Chennai airport has reserved halls for VIP lounges. Individuals with first-class flight tickets and premium memberships with specific airlines will have access to the VIP Lounge. The lounge services are quite good and upscaled.

Top airlines flying from the Chennai Airport

Domestic flights flying from Chennai Airport are from Terminal 1. The Chennai International Airport is touted to be the HQ of the Airports Authority of India, with states such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Lakshadweep and Puducherry under its wing. The Chennai airport has immaculate connectivity with most of the Southern cities and hence, has various domestic airlines catering to the same. Airlines such as Air India, Air India Express, Air Asia India, Alliance Air, GoAir, IndiGo, SpiceJet, TruJet and Vistara, operate from the Chennai International Airport. These airlines have flights connecting to specific small towns within the Southern belt and hence, make the airport an important hub.

Along with the domestic airlines that operate from the city, there are a plethora of international airlines that also function from the airport. A majority of flights connecting to Australia and New Zealand have airlines available. The most important international airlines that operate from Chennai Airport are Air Arabia, Air Austral, Air Canada, Air Mauritius, Air New Zealand, Air Seychelles, Air Asia, All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, Asiana Airlines, Batik Air, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, EgyptAir, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Fiji Airways, flydubai, Flynas, Garuda Indonesia, Gulf Air, Japan Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Kuwait Airways, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Maldivian, Malindo Air, Oman Air, Qantas, Qatar Airways, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Saudia, Silkair, Singapore Airlines, Srilankan Airlines, Thai Air Asia, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, US-Bangla Airlines and Virgin Australia. Terminal 3 and 4 are reserved for international airlines as departures and arrivals take place from them.

How to reach the Chennai Airport

The Chennai International Airport is located on the National Highway 32, also recognised as the Grand Southern trunk Road. The highway is known to be a famous link that connects the city to other important cities in Tamil Nadu. The best way to reach the Chennai International Airport is by opting for its closest railway station, the Tirusulam railway station. The station falls on the Suburban railway network. Often this route is considered as it directly connects with the city centre. Another famous route connecting the city centre to the airport is via the metro station. The airport metro station falls in the Chennai Metro line. The metro line is also considered to be the ideal way to reach the Chennai Airport. Aside from the Tirusulam railway station, the Metro station is favoured more. It is also acknowledged to be the second metro station which connects with an airport in India.

There are expansion plans that are in the making to make the connectivity to Chennai airport better from the city centre. It has been announced that a direct tube will be constructed to bridge the distance from the metro station to the Chennai airport. Flyovers are also being erected to connect the metro station directly to the departure and airport terminals. Simultaneously, the government is also planning on facilitating a connection between the Tirusulam train station with the metro station.

  About Kuala Lumpur Airport

Kuala Lumpur International Airport serves as the main international airport in Malaysia and is also recognised as one of the biggest airports of Southeast Asia. The airport is situated in the Sepang district of Selangor. It is approximately 45 km away from the main city of Kuala Lumpur. It majorly serves the Greater Klang Valley metropolis. Kuala Lumpur International Airport is recognised as the largest and busiest airport in the country. Back in 1018, it estimated passenger capacity of 59,988,409. The same year, the airport witnessed 714,669 tonnes of cargo as well as 399,827 aircraft movements. Three parallel runways have been constructed to meet with the air traffic. The airport is recognised to be the 23rd busiest airport in the world with respect to passenger traffic. Kuala Lumpur International Airport was officially opened for business in 1998. It opened just in time for the 1998 Commonwealth Games that was held in the city.

About Airport Terminals

There are two main terminals at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The original terminal called KLIA Main and terminal 2, called klia2. Terminal 1 was designed by architect Kisho Kurokawa. The airport complex is sprawled across 38.4 metres and has enabled space for future expansions. The symbolic architecture is a testament to the late architect's vision of aesthetic details. It encapsulates Islamic geometry along with cutting edge technology that also puts hints of tropical rainforest. KLIA Main is situated between two runways and covers a floor space of 4,300,000 sq ft. The terminal has a total of 216 check-in counters that are spread across six different islands that are identified alphabetically named A-M. The airport also has self-check-in kiosks available.

Satellite terminal A is a building located at Kuala Lumpur International Airport that operates international flights departures and arrivals. An aerotrain has been constructed to connect the first terminal with the satellite building. The building has 27 boarding gates in total. Kuala Lumpur City, Air Terminal, also referred to as Kuala Lumpur City Air Terminal or KL CAT is situated at KL Sentral and carries three airlines, Cathay Pacific, Malindo Air and Malaysia Airlines. KLIA2, also known as Terminal 2, has been built exclusively to optimise low-cost carriers. The operations at klia2 commenced in 2014 and have about 68 departure gates, 80 aerobridges and about 220 retail outlets.

About Airport Authority

Kuala Lumpur International Airport is owned by Khazanah Nasional Berhad, which is a sovereign wealth fund that is funded by the Government of Malaysia. The commercial objective of Khazanah is to multiply the financial assets and to diversify the revenue sources for Malaysia. They have strategic objectives to achieve the same and ensure to bring in long-term benefits economically. However, the airport is currently operated by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad. It is a Malaysian airport company that works to handle a majority of airports in the country.

The headquarters of Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad is located in the Persiaran Korporat KLIA, which is within the premise of Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The company currently owns 39 airports under its wing, including Bintulu Airport, Langkawi International Airport, Sandakan Airport, Lahad Dat Airport, Penang International Airport and Limbang Airport, to name a few. Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad is also listed on the Board of Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. They are the first airport operations company that has a space on the listing of Asia.

Out of the airports that fall under the Malaysia Airports umbrella, Kuala Lumpur International Airport is primarily the result of visionary strategy which has been working on accommodating traffic and big aircraft.

Top airlines flying from Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Kuala Lumpur is one of the best tourist destinations in Malaysia, after Singapore. Hence, the city does witness a slew of travellers coming over to relish the tropical weather and the beaches. There are far too many airlines that operate from the airport. As the airport sees excellent connectivity with many international destinations, many airlines operate from Kuala Lumpur International Airport include Air Arabia, Air Astana, Air China, AirAsia, AirAsia X, All Nippon Airways, Bangkok Airways, British Airways, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Cathay Dragon, China Airlines, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, IndiGo, Himalaya Airlines, Indonesia AirAsia, Japan Airlines, Japan Airlines, KLM, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Malindo Air, Nepal Airlines, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, Saudia, Scoot, Shenzhen Airlines, SilkAir, Singapore Airlines, Srilankan Airlines, Thai Airways, Royal Jordanian, Thai Smile, Turkish Airlines, US-Bangla Airlines, Uzbekistan Airways, VietJet Air and Vietnam Airlines. The airport serves as a major hub to a slew of domestic airlines such as Malaysia Airlines, Malindo Air, AirAsia, MASkargo, AirAsia X, UPS Airlines and AsiaCargo Express. These airlines also cater to the economy of Malaysia.

Facilities at Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Baby care room - Kuala Lumpur International Airport has facilitated baby care rooms to help mother's and infants find the necessary privacy. Airports can get very crowded and make it difficult for new mothers to cater to their child's needs. However, at the airport's baby care rooms, that won't be an issue. The room is well-lit and has all the required amenities for the mother and the child. This includes essential baby products as well as a diaper changing station.

Buggies - To enable faster and easier transport within the airport premise, they have installed buggies at all stations. You can find them at the entrance of the airport as well as at the check-in and security booths as well. You will need to inform the airlines and ask them to arrange for a buggy service though. The buggies are usually reserved for senior citizens, expecting mother's and mobility disabled passengers. However, travellers with other concerns can also avail the service.

Kidzania (Entertainment deck for kids) - Travelling with kids can be quite tough, especially when they get bored and start acting up. Hence, with a view to entertaining kids, the Kuala Lumpur International Airport has installed an entertainment deck for them in the form of Kidzania. The place has all amenities with rides and games that would keep the kids busy while you wait for boarding.

Medical services - The airport has also installed world-class medical services at the premise. Often airports see medical cases and emergencies which require assistance as soon as possible. Along with medical clinics and paramedic services, the airport also has pharmacies stationed at regular intervals. You can find them at the domestic and international terminals.

Muslim prayer room - Designated prayer rooms are also there at the airport. However, the rooms are separate for men and women. They are available at all levels of the main terminal building as well as the satellite building. The rooms can also be used for meditation.

Smoking lounge - Smoking in public space is prohibited in Malaysia, and hence, the airport has installed a smoking lounge. Passengers can make use of the comfortable rooms to smoke and even purchase some boxes, if necessary.

Entertainment deck - Interesting entertainment decks are also present at the airport in the satellite building. The lounge has multiple TV sets that have been placed in a U-shaped room. They face relaxed sofa sets and chairs to make for a comfortable experience. It is certainly a good space where one can hang out before boarding. TV has movies and sports channels that one can browse.

Calm room - Something known as a calm room is also present at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The room has soothing portraits and a calm environment to help anxious passengers keep their nerves on check while they wait for the boarding. They have miniature trees and paintings on the wall too that add to the soothing vibe.

Special assistance - There are provisions for special assistance that the airport supports. Trained staff will escort you through the airport and guide you with all the necessary steps and check-in processes required.

How to reach Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Rail

An Express Rail Link is directly connected to the airport. The station is located right at the Main Terminal as well outside klia2. You can catch two of the trail services to reach Kuala Lumpur International Airport namely, KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit. The two rail links have been routed in such a way that they make reaching the Kuala Lumpur International Airport from the city centre easy and convenient. The designs have also been aesthetically done to make the rails look good.

Taxicabs and limousine

There are dedicated taxicab services and even limousines available at the airport as well as the city's travel agencies. You can visit any of the agents and book yourself a ride to reach the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Airport Limo is one place where you can avail the limousine service. There are counters at the airport where you can book your vehicles. You will have to make the payments at the counter itself as there are fixed rates to reach the airport.

Bus

With buses too, there are public as well as private services available within the city to reach the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The buses are air-conditioned, so you will need to get a ticket to KL Sentral transportation hub which would cost you around RM11. The frequency of buses is quite high at the airport so you wouldn't have to worry about its availability.