SIBU: Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha yesterday announced reduction in airport charges of about 50 per cent for five secondary airports in Sarawak.
Kong listed Sibu, Miri, Limbang, Bintulu and Mulu airports as among the 18 secondary airports in the country, which he announced earlier would be affected by the reduction of airport charges for flights to Asean destinations.
He disclosed that the charges would be reduced from RM51 to RM26, almost 50 per cent, adding that the measure was taken in the spirit of Asean cooperation.
“We hope that this will encourage more passengers and tourists to come to Sarawak,” he told a press conference after the earth-breaking ceremony for the upgrading of Sibu Airport here.
Kong was accompanied by Second Finance Minister and Minister of Environment and Public Health Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, MP for Lanang and Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King, managing director of Malaysian Airports Holdings Bhd Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad and director general of Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) Datuk Azharuddin Abdul Rahman.
Besides those in Sarawak, other secondary airports in other parts of the country given reduction of airport charges included Alor Setar, Ipoh, Kuala Terengganu, Kota Baru, Kuantan, Malacca, Pangkor, Redang, Tioman, Labuan, Lahad Datu, Sandakan and Tawau, revealed Kong.
Asked if there would be a new airport here under the 10th Malaysia Plan, he said there were many airports in Malaysia that served not only big towns or cities but also provided short take-off and landing facilities like in Sabah and Sarawak.
This, he added, was to cater to the needs of rural people, saying there were a few airports in need of upgrading or even relocating.
“But not to build any new airport in any town,” he clarified, noting that in the Peninsula, the need for more and bigger airports had been reduced by good road connectivity.
Asked to name those airports that would either be upgraded or relocated, he replied: “There are a few in the pipeline, including those in Sabah and Sarawak.”
He disclosed that KLIA’s upgrading works had already started, where a new terminal – KLIA 2 – would be built.
Elsewhere, for instance, Penang, the international airport was also in the process of being upgraded.
Asked on the proposed airport for Mukah, he said the project was undertaken by the state government.