The KLIA Transit Area Shuttle Bus is a new permanent addition to KLIA, first started during scheduled Aerotrain maintenance periods and thereafter during frequent breakdowns. The KLIA Transit Area Shuttle Bus plies between the Main Terminal Building (MTB) and the Satellite Terminal, on a similar route with the existing Aerotrain.
The KLIA Transit Area Shuttle Bus is necessary due to the unreliability of the Aerotrain, which necessitates the connection between the MTB and Satellite Terminal as most planes are parked at the Satellite Terminal while all the other functions of the airport like check-in, immigration, customs and baggage reclaim are located at the MTB. The KLIA Transit Area Shuttle Bus operates 24 hours a day, and is said to offer a journey time of 5 minutes.
RailTravel Station took this journey for the experience and to produce and share original content with readers of RailTravel Station, not for any other website that you may find this post on which copies such original content blindly without shame. RailTravel Station does not believe that copying and pasting articles benefit RailTravel Station or its readers.
The KLIA Transit Area Shuttle Bus is easily identified by the purple MAHB livery of the bus.
Access to the bus lounge for the KLIA Transit Area Shuttle Bus is after the Aerotrain platforms.
The Aerotrain platforms at the Satellite Terminal are usually crowded whenever there are incoming flights.
The access to the bus lounge is located at the end of the Aerotrain platform. You may have to wait for the crowd to clear into the train before you can walk to the bus lounge access as the alternate empty platforms are not accessible to the public who wishes to get the bus. Actually, by then you should take the train since it’s there, but, hey, the things I do for RailTravel Station.
Head down the escalator to the bus lounge.
Follow the arrows to the KLIA Transit Area Shuttle Bus.
The KLIA Transit Area Shuttle Bus would be waiting just outside the door.
The interior of the KLIA Transit Area Shuttle Bus from the rear.
I was quite lucky as the bus departed less than a minute after I boarded, with some airport staff on board already.
The bus made a u-turn immediately upon departure and drove at a regular bus speed. It does not feel like an apron bus like other airports.
Views of parked planes can be seen up close from the bus.
The view of the MTB ahead.
Taking the roundabout to the link road to the MTB.
Heading down the underpass under the taxiway, parallel to the Aerotrain tracks.
Approaching the MTB.
Buses back to the Satellite Terminal are parked at the departure bus lounge.
However, the bus from the Satellite Terminal to MTB turned into the arrival lane.
Disembarking from the KLIA Transit Area Shuttle Bus.
The entrance to the International Arrivals area.
The escalator here leads to the passageway to the immigration counters. To get to the transit area of the MTB, take the escalator up from the passageway.
For the journey from the MTB to the Satellite Terminal, the bus lounge is also accessed from the end of the Aerotrain platforms.
The KLIA Transit Area Shuttle Bus‘ actual journey time was 8 minutes, not 5 minutes as touted by KLIA. It might still sound pretty fast, but I would still advise against taking the shuttle bus on arrival and instead try as much as possible to squeeze on the Aerotrain.
Here, let me explain.
By squeezing on the Aerotrain which would be already parked at the platform, you are guaranteed (unless it breaks down) a 2.5 minutes journey from platform to platform. Sure, it’s going to suck with the crowds, but you will get to immigration in 2.5 minutes or so. As a comparison, the less crowded bus ride will get you there in 8 minutes, assuming no waiting time, which means that 3 train loads of passengers (assuming 2.5 minutes frequency) would have passed you while you’re on the bus journey, which also means that up to 750 passengers would be well in front of you at immigration, so all the best to you at the back of the queue for that. I’d personally pick the lesser evil to squeeze for 2.5 minutes on the crowded train than to stand in the immigration line for an hour or so with 750 passengers ahead of me. But if you like queuing, then, well, who am I to judge.
Take the shuttle bus only if you are on a transit flight with ample time to get to your gate.
My bottom line is this: squeezing on the Aerotrain might be uncomfortable, but is still the most practical way to get between the two terminal buildings.
RailTravel Station took this journey for the experience and to produce and share original content with readers of RailTravel Station, not for any other website that you may find this post on which copies such original content blindly without shame. RailTravel Station does not believe that copying and pasting articles benefit RailTravel Station or its readers.
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