Bintulu Airport looks set to join three others as a key aviation hub

KUCHING: Bintulu Airport, able to handle aircraft as large as the Boeing 747s, will emerge as the state’s fourth major air link in time to come, says Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg.

Flights to the airport, built in 2002, in the central region would grow with the development of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE), he said. “In as little as five years, you’ll see a lot of movements at Bintulu Airport,” Johari said. Major airports in Sarawak are in Kuching, Miri and Sibu. Including Bintulu Airport, which is now in the midst of a major expansion, all four are either newly built or renovated.

However, Johari noted that Bintulu Airport would grow the fastest, followed by Kuching International Airport. Last year, 590,253 passengers passed through Bintulu Airport, which handled 2,071 metric tonnes of cargo.

At the same time, Kuching International Airport handled 4.2 million passengers and 24,787 metric tonnes of cargo. By comparison, Kuala Lumpur International Airport saw the handling of almost 38 million passengers last year, with cargo volume amounting to 670,000 metric tonnes. “Bintulu is the centre of our development corridor. To date, there’s already been RM32bil of investment going into the central region,” said Johari, who was hosting a delegation from UBM Aviation on Thursday.

UBM Aviation is an air transport industry consultancy, whose services include analytics and event organising of conferences for the aviation sector. The state government would be lobbying the company to host its next airport conference here. Johari told the delegation that Sarawak’s growth had been much on heavy industries, as it was on tourism and transportation. He also said the state was a model of cultural togetherness.

“We have 27 indigenous races and we all mingle within a region that has one of the world’s oldest rainforests. We would be honoured to be given the chance to host your conferences and conventions,” Johari said. Leading the UBM Aviation delegations was its chief executive Phil Callow and executive vice president of airports and routes David Stroud.

-thestar online.