Kuala Lumpur International Airport (IATA: KUL; Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur) is more than 50 km (30 mi) from the Malaysia capital city of Kuala Lumpur.
KLIA is the primary airport serving Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley region. Yet, despite its name, KLIA is actually some 50 km south of Kuala Lumpur in the Sepang district of Selangor.
The airport opened in 1998 and superseded Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang, which is now only used for charter and commercial turboprop flights. KLIA was voted in passenger surveys to have the "World’s Best Immigration Service" in the 2013 Skytrax World Airport Awards. Low-cost carriers now use the separate KLIA2 terminal, which replaced the old, perennially congested LCCT (Low Cost Carrier Terminal, which was 20 km away) in May 2014, and is connected to the main terminal by a free shuttle bus.
Over 50 airlines call at KLIA and it is the hub for flag carrier Malaysia Airlines and the low cost carrier Air Asia. Due to the highly competitive prices of these two carriers you will find surprisingly few well-known world carriers serving this airport, although there are carriers from many Islamic countries around the world. An additional reason for the lack of carriers is the relatively close proximity of Singapore Changi Airport.
The main terminal has a satellite building ("Satellite Terminal A") containing the C gates, which is connected to the main building by the free Aerotrain. The separate newer terminal ("KLIA2"), confusingly sometimes also called the "satellite building" or "satellite terminal", is only connected landside.
KLIA has excellent connections to Kuala Lumpur. It's possible to land and get to Sentral Station in the city within 28 minutes with RM55 KLIA Ekspres. It is easy to get a taxi from there.
In Town Check In
When flying with Malaysia Airlines, Emirates, Cathay Pacific or Royal Brunei and taking either an Ekspres or a Transit train to the airport, you can check in your baggage at the Kuala Lumpur City Air Terminal in KL Sentral. This can also allow you a few extra hours to explore Kuala Lumpur without having to carry your baggage around.
The bus terminal 📍 is on the ground floor of car park C.
Several bus operators run services to KL and other cities from KLIA2 Level 1,
If travelling with a party of 3 or 4 people taking a taxi can be a cost-effective option over the airport rail link, but is not as fast. City taxis depart from level 1 outside the main terminal. Look around for signs saying Teksi Bandar or City Taxi. Before catching a city taxi you must first purchase a RM2 coupon (per taxi) and then join the queue. When entering the taxi you will be given a slip to keep and are charged according to the meter, usually costing around RM55-60 to KL Sentral. Keep hold of the slip in case of any complaints, particularly overcharging, as it can be used to trace the offending taxi driver.
While touting is no longer a common occurrence at the main terminal keep in mind that you should avoid taxi drivers that hang around the terminal away from the designated areas mentioned above or approach you asking where you want to go. In most cases they will inflate the price and say that other transport options are not available.
Heading to KLIA by taxi can be a bit of a challenge at times as drivers are reluctant to use the meter. If you fail to get them to use the meter, make sure you agree on a price before setting off (this should cost no more than RM70-80 in total). Airport Limo operates from Kuala Lumpur to KLIA by bookings only at a rate of RM64.40 for a budget car.
KLIA is well connected to Peninsular Malaysia's expressway network. The airport is directly linked with the North South Expressway Central Link (known by its Malay abbreviation "Elite") about 70km or nearly 1h away from Kuala Lumpur city centre. Exit the expressway at KLIA interchange for both the Main Terminal and KLIA2.
KLIA is a large, expanding airport. If you are only concerned with the main terminal (KLIA 1), then getting around is straightforward, with air-side being split into two buildings, the main building and a secondary building (containing the C gates), connected by the free, fast Aerotrain.
To transfer between KLIA and KLIA2, take the free shuttle bus (every 10 minutes, 24/7), the RM2.50 Airport Liner bus (early morning to late evening), or the RM2 Inter-Terminal Transfer train (more limited hours). The journey takes about 10 minutes by bus or 3 minutes by train. All of these options are landside, so you will have to clear immigration if coming on an international flight. You may find the airport map here.
The main terminal is well-designed with facilities for long waits. Alternatively, the centre of Kuala Lumpur is very accessible if you have a few hours to spare.
There is a piece of Malaysian jungle in the middle of the satellite terminal building. You can have a walk around on its boardwalk.
There are quite a few restaurants and cafes in the satellite terminal building. In the main terminal there isn't a great deal.
In the international section of KLIA2, there's a food court with half a dozen mediocre restaurants upstairs between the P and Q gates. You can get a simple meal for under RM20. Downstairs is a restaurant called "Nooodles" which is a modest step up in terms of both taste and price.
There are lots of machines to fill up your water bottle with hot or cold water.
KLIA has a lot of shops for western products, and not much for local goods.
Lots of duty-free shops in the international area in KLIA2.
There is free (if somewhat unreliable) Wi-Fi named FreeWiFi@klia2 and AirportWifi throughout the airport. Email registration is required for the former before using.
In the international area in KLIA2, there are showers on the lower level between the P and Q gates.
It is very hard to smoke at all at the airport, even outside the terminal entrance doors. There are smoking rooms available near gates B2, C11 and C31.
If you want to visit the city during a long layover, left luggage is available in the arrivals areas: on level 3 of the main terminal and level 2 of KLIA2.
This lists only accommodation on airport grounds; for nearby hotels that require a shuttle bus, see Sepang. Taking the KLIA Ekspres to town and staying near KL Sentral is also a viable alternative, especially if you're staying overnight and have the time to explore a bit.
The Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur is a quick 28 min away on the KLIA Ekspres, dropping you at KL Sentral where the Little India district of Brickfields awaits. For some history, visit the Old City Centre where you can check out Chinatown or the old colonial administrative area. The Golden Triangle is the place to be if shopping is your calling.
If you like shopping for luxury and designer goods, you can head down to Mitsui Outlet Park which is about 6 km away.
The federal administrative capital of Malaysia, Putrajaya, is even closer to the airport than KL. A city that did not exist 25 years ago, the city is filled with colossal buildings to showcase the future of Malaysia.
If you have a whole day, Malacca, a former Portuguese, Dutch and British colony is 2 hr by bus south of the airport. The city attained UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2008 for its historic city centre.
2nd-order administrative division
Primary administrative division