flyctory.com

Kuala Lumpur Subang Airport (SZB)

Florian Buechting Airports and Airlines No Comments

Kuala Lumpur Subang Airport (SZB)

Kuala Lumpur Subang Airport (SZB)
3.7

Rating

 3.7/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Effective services
  • Good landside area
  • Good domestic connections

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Limited transport
  • Limited connections

During my early 2024 trip to Malaysia, I had domestic ATR 72 flights with Firefly. The key hub of the regional carrier of Malaysia Airlines is Subang Airport (SZB). The secondary airport of the capital Kuala Lumpur used to be the key international airport of the city, before the modern Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) has been introduced in 1998. Here are my thoughts about the place, which is officially named Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport and sometimes also referred to as Subang Skypark.

 

K.L. Subang Airport (SZB) – Location & Transport

The Skypark is located West of the city center of Kuala Lumpur in the borough of Subang. The area is still very city-alike, but the airport is rather located at the transition to the more rural areas. Apart from some golf courses and a chocolate museum, there are not too many interesting spots around. A few hotels are located around the airport, but there is none at the terminal directly

The night before my flight to Johor Bahru (JHB), I stayed at the Hilton Petaling Jaya. Even though the hotel is not that far away from the airport, a Grab service (similar to Uber) was the most convenient option. There used to be a MRT metro line to the airport, but the connection has been capped due to a lack of success. Thus, the only public transport option are buses. Lines 772 and T804 connect to Subang Airport (SZB).

 

K.L. Subang Airport (SZB) – Connections

Most of the connections from Subang Airport are domestic. The most popular routes are likely to Penang (PEN), Johor Bahru (JHB) or Langkawi (LGK). However, there are a few international flights as well. The most interesting one for aviation geeks, likely, is the flight to Seletar (XSP), the secondary airport of Singapore. The dominating carrier is Firelfy. The only other scheduled flight carrier currently is Berjaya Air.

 

Arriving at K.L. Subang Airport (SZB)

The key aircraft used by Firefly from Subang is the ATR 72. There are no jet bridges. You simply walk to and from the plane. The routes are signed (and of course controlled). In the arrivals hall, there are two luggage belts. One of them is dedicated to the few international services, but is also used by domestic flights if there is no Seletar (XSP) service. Everything is very cozy and efficient.

 

Departing from K.L. Subang Airport (SZB)

The landside part of Subang Airport (SZB) is actually quite nice. There a couple of stores and some cafes and restaurants. The only lounge in the airport, the SkyLounge Subang, is located on the upper level of the landside section, i.e. before security. When you enter the airside area, passengers are split between international and domestic ones. I just visited the domestic area, which is comparably crowded – the services are very popular among tourists and locals.

The domestic airside part is majorly a large waiting hall with a few boarding gates. There is a cafe, a kiosk and some vending machine. I especially liked that they have a book vending machine. The airport provides free WiFi. Within the whole airport, signs and announcements are made in Malay and English. It is absolutely easy to get around just speaking English. The locals are very good in that and open and friendly to visitors. In line with arrival, boarding is done by walking to the plane at its parking position.

 

K.L. Subang Airport (SZB) – Services

There is a locker service at Subang Airport (SZB). As you see in the pictures, the capacity is a bit of limited. It is driven by a luggage service company, you have to get the respective key from them. You prepay your luggage. While there was staff at the service before my departure to Johor Bahru, there was nobody when I got the suitcase back. But as I had the key, this was no issue.

 

Kuala Lumpur Subang Airport (SZB) – My View

Of course, Subang (SZB) is not the most modern and posh airport out there. Nonetheless, the landside facilities were much better than I expected. The airside waiting area is a bit of lame, though. Nonetheless, the airport gets its job done well. Bad luck that the closed the airport rail connection, though.

 

Malaysia Postings

Here are all postings about Malaysia:

 

Aviation Postings 2024

Here are all my Airports & Airlines postings published in 2024:

, ,

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *