KOTA KINABALU: Plans for a bigger Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) should be drawn according to the needs of Sabah’s future tourism landscape.
Sabah Tourism Board (STB) chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said basing on the numerous airlines interested to operate here alone, the state was already expecting an influx of tourists in 2017.
Therefore, Sabah must think ahead and be prepared whilst bearing in mind that tourism is one of the three economic thrust sectors in the Chief Minister’s Halatuju master development plan, he said.
“It is only proper that we plan ahead because the state government has already decided that this is one of our main thrust sectors so tourism will be our main focus indefinitely,” said Joniston.
“That would mean tourism arrivals would continue to grow, especially with STB’s aggressive promotional efforts. So you must be ready,” he stressed.
“The growth (in) hotels and also the completion of the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) in several more years are indications for early preparation when it comes to the KKIA expansion,” he said.
“Besides making KKIA more attractive for international airlines to consider flying here, the SICC will also be coming up. Once that is ready, of course, more tourists will come so you will need airport facilities to support that growth,” he added.
Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) executive chairman Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad recently said Kota Kinabalu was in need of a new bigger airport as the influx of tourists will push the existing KKIA to its full runway capacity of 13 million passengers annually in the next five years.
He said a study was currently being conducted by the state government and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB).
The state government-MAHB study is expected to be completed in less than a year whilst a separate study carried out by Mavcom is near completion.