Among options for higher capacity at Kota Kinabalu airport are a second runway, an alternative runway configuration or developing a separate relief airport.
The two options were discussed by aviation experts at a public forum on the future of the airport organised by the Sabah section of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Malaysia.
Civil aviation consultant Edward Clayton said among options for increasing the airport’s capacity were to build a second runway, adopt an alternative runway configuration or develop a separate relief airport.
He said KKIA had recorded average annual passenger growth of about 4.1% over the past 21 years, with passenger numbers reaching approximately nine million last year, reported the Borneo Post.
“Are we limited to 4.1% per annum? Are we happy with 4.1% growth every year?” he said, posing the question of whether existing infrastructure was restricting Sabah’s aviation potential.
Clayton said one possibility was to build a second runway extending into reclaimed land, which would entail matters of construction cost, environmental impact, runway spacing, and operational procedures.
An alternative runway configuration could also be explored, but the surrounding mountains and geographical constraints would require further investigation, he said.
Another option would be to develop a separate relief airport to provide operational backup when KKIA’s runway was unavailable. However, its viability would depend on passenger demand, investment requirements and the distance between the two facilities.
Clayton said expansion of the current airport would involve more than increasing runway capacity, as rising passenger numbers would also require larger terminal facilities, additional aircraft stands and taxiways, as well as improved air traffic management systems.
Benefits of new airport
Former Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia CEO Chester Voo urged Sabah to consider building a new airport elsewhere to support its long-term aviation and economic ambitions.
Voo said KKIA had served Sabah well for about 45 years, but its location and surrounding development could constrain future expansion. The surrounding terrain and the presence of Gaya island were factors that must be considered.
Voo said a runway closure in September that disrupted operations showed the risk of relying on a single runway. “An airport is not just about planes taking off and landing,” he said.
A new facility could accommodate aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul services, cold-chain storage, cargo sorting centres and warehouses, he said. Such facilities could strengthen Sabah’s aviation and logistics industries, particularly its seafood export sector, which he said faced limitations due to the lack of dedicated cold-chain facilities at the state’s airports.
Voo also proposed developing an airport-city or aerotropolis, incorporating hotels, restaurants, commercial developments and other businesses to generate wider economic opportunities. The existing KKIA site could be redeveloped for commercial, tourism or other urban purposes if airport operations were eventually relocated, given the rising value of land around Tanjung Aru and its surrounding areas.
He cited the relocation of Kuala Lumpur airport operations from Subang to Sepang as an example of planning for long-term aviation capacity.
The federal government said in 2024 that it had no plans to build a new airport in Sabah, with transport minister Loke Siew Fook saying the priority was to make better use of Kota Kinabalu airport and expand its capacity. - FMT
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.