KUALA LUMPUR • Up to 20 flights departing Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) yesterday morning were delayed, said airport operator Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), after check-in and baggage systems were disrupted the night before.

Last night, technical teams received replacement equipment and aimed to resolve the situation by this morning.

About 1,000 employees were deployed to provide assistance to passengers and airlines, MAHB said in a statement. It did not give a reason for the systems disruption.

Flights affected included those operated by Emirates and All Nippon Airways. A Singapore Airlines spokesman said all the airline's flights, including those of SilkAir, were "operating in and out of KLIA as scheduled".

Both the main and the low-cost terminals were affected by disruptions that brought down the flight information display, check-in counters, baggage handling and Wi-Fi connection, MAHB's statement said. "Since the disruption, our team has been working round the clock, not only to rectify the situation but also to minimise the inconvenience caused to passengers."

MAHB tweeted that systems were fully functioning by 10.41am yesterday, save for the flight information display at budget terminal KLIA2.

Earlier, AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes shared a video showing a long line of passengers trying to get to and from their flights at KLIA2, saying it was the worst he had ever seen.

The statement added that MAHB had briefed relevant stakeholders such as the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia, representatives of airlines operating at KLIA and the Airline Operators Committee chairman on the latest updates and mitigation plans.

"We deeply regret the inconvenience caused to passengers due to this disruption. Please be assured that we are sparing no effort to provide assistance to passengers and airlines," MAHB said.

It advised passengers to arrive at the airport at least four hours before their flight departure time. It also encouraged them to check in via the respective airlines' mobile apps or websites, and urged them to reach out to Airport CARE Ambassadors or call +603-8776-2000 for updates.

The disruption also affected immigration autogates, forcing immigration officers to process travel documents manually.

Some airport shops were also affected, with staff saying credit card transactions could not be processed because of poor Internet connectivity.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke has apologised for the glitch, and told MAHB to explain why it happened.

THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK, BLOOMBERG