As GDA closes in on its takeover of MAHB and readies the ground for the airport operator’s privatisation, expectations are high that it will enhance passenger experience and improve connectivity of the airports in the country and the state of their infrastructure.
The debate over whether Malaysia Airports Holdings (MAHB) should be privatised is practically over. On Nov 15, the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) gave the green light to the Khazanah Nasional-led consortium’s proposed RM10.3 billion ($3.1 billion) takeover of MAHB, removing the regulatory hurdle for the deal to close.
The proposed privatisation will give Gateway Development Alliance Sdn Bhd (GDA) — a consortium made up of sovereign wealth fund Khazanah, the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and New York private equity firm Global Infrastructure Management LLC (GIM), through special purpose vehicle GIP Aurea — control over 39 airports in Malaysia and one in Türkiye, the most valuable of which is Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
