Planning to drop off or pick up someone at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) soon?
A new Vehicle Access Management System (VAMS) is being trialled at both KLIA terminals starting this September in a bid to ease traffic congestion and improve the overall travel experience.
10-minute to pick-up or drop-off
According to Malay Mail, the VAMS is designed to better manage vehicle flow at the departure and arrival kerbsides by introducing timed entry and exit points with barrier gates.
Under this system, every vehicle will be given a 10-minute grace period to complete its pick-up or drop-off.
The moment a car enters the designated area, the system will automatically track its duration until it exits, ensuring vehicles do not linger unnecessarily and create bottlenecks.
The trial began at KLIA Terminal 1 on Sept 1, covering both the departure level on Level 5 and the arrival level on Level 3. KLIA Terminal 2 will join the trial from Sept 15 onwards.
The testing phase will run until Nov 30, giving Malaysia Airports ample time to monitor traffic patterns, observe driver behaviour, and determine whether the 10-minute grace period is adequate before any permanent measures are introduced.
No penalty during grace period
For now, no penalty fees will be imposed on vehicles exceeding the grace period.
Malaysia Airports has made it clear that this initial stage is purely a “warning phase” to collect data and fine-tune the system.
Any decision to introduce penalties in the future will only be made after the trial ends and adjustments are carried out based on real-world findings.
Ultimately, the goal of the VAMS is to reduce traffic jams, improve safety, and make the airport experience smoother for everyone, especially with Visit Malaysia Year 2026 on the horizon.
