KUCHING: The Federal Government has approved RM30 million to upgrade the Long Banga and Ba’kelalan Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) ports in Sarawak.
Deputy Transport Minister, Datuk Hasbi Habibollah, said RM15 million each had been allocated for the two rural airports under the Airport Development Fund.
The allocation will cover terminal upgrades and, where site conditions permit, runway extensions.
“We know that in rural areas, sometimes there are rivers at both ends of the runway,” he said to reporters when met at the UNIFOR Complex here today after the National Teksi MADANI Renewal Programme at UNIFOR Complex.
Hasbi said the government did not want development efforts to focus only on major airports, stressing that rural airports also played an important role.
“We do not want people to say that we only upgrade big airports. Our rural airports are still airports,” he said.
He said runway extensions, where feasible, would allow the STOLports to handle more passengers.
“If the runway can be extended, we can carry many more passengers,” he said.
Currently, Twin Otter services are limited to nine passengers due to runway constraints.
Hasbi said the allocation had only recently been approved, with design work and other preparations underway.
“We have just approved the allocation and, God-willing, if possible, we want to start some work this year. The design and other preparations have already been carried out,” he said.
He said he had recently visited Long Banga, Ba’kelalan and Marudi airports with Sarawak Deputy Transport Minister, Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, and officials from the Ministry of Transport Malaysia and the Sarawak Ministry of Transport.
The visits formed part of efforts to assess the needs of rural airports and improve aviation facilities and connectivity for communities in remote areas.
