MIRI: There is a need to extend Miri Airport’s terminal to cater to the growing volume of passengers and aircraft traffic since the airport is one of the busiest domestic airports in the country.
Saying this, Assistant Minister of Communication Datuk Lee Kim Shin added that a proposal to extend the airport terminal had been submitted to the Ministry of Transport in 2010.
“Miri Airport is one of the top three airports in terms of aircraft movement and the fifth busiest in terms of passengers handled from throughout the country.
“We are now still waiting for approval from the ministry and hopefully, the ministry will be able to give a positive reply as soon as possible,” Lee stated in a press conference after having a closed-door meeting with the management of Malaysia Airport Berhad (MAB) Miri at Miri Airport yesterday.
Lee, who is also Senadin assemblyman, said from January until September this year, the airport had served almost 1.5 million passengers.
He pointed out that the airport was expected to achieve the target of handling 2 million passengers by year end.
In this context, Lee strongly supports the proposal to upgrade the facilities of the airport according to international standards.
The airport recorded a daily average of 125 aircraft landings and take-offs (including helicopters), he added.
Touching on rural air services, he said Miri Airport was the hub of such services, namely for ATR and Twin-Otter aircrafts.
The rural air services recorded 62 landings per day for ATR and Twin-otter aircrafts from various locations in the state.