A STUDY OF MAINTENANCE COMPETENCIES IN AIRPORT BUILDING FACILITIES

Airports function as global gateways and carry millions of people and tons of cargo each day. Therefore, maintaining and keeping them running is crucial. Thus, this study highlights the significant issues of insufficient maintenance and poor work quality in the airport building facilities, focusing on Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Hence, these issues lead to inefficiencies in operations, safety concerns, and reduced passenger comfort, emphasising the importance of effective airport maintenance systems. This research aims to identify essential maintenance competencies, analyse maintenance employees' challenges, and make recommendations to enhance maintenance practices at KLIA. The data collection method involves collecting both primary and secondary data. Primary data is obtained through qualitative interviews with the KLIA building services department and related maintenance employees. These interviews employed both in-depth and semi-structured methods to ensure comprehensive data collection. Secondary data consists of information from existing papers, manuals, procedures, reports, and standards related to airport maintenance. The data collected from these interviews are systematically analysed to identify common issues as well as opportunities for improvement. This method ensures that the results are based on real-world experiences. Consequently, the analysis defines significant problems among KLIA maintenance employees, including skill gaps, challenges towards emerging technology, high reported costs, and inadequate training. Thus, this study implies that using new technology, preventive maintenance approaches, and providing regular training may considerably increase maintenance efficiency, safety, and passenger comfort in airport building facilities.