TUMPAT: The government has approved a RM500 million allocation to expand the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport (LTSIP) in Pengkalan Chepa to cater to the increasing passenger load.
Deputy Transport Minister, Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar, said the expansion project will enter the tender process. Construction is expected to begin in 2020 and will take three years.
He said once completed, the airport will be doubled in size and able to cater to four million passengers annually.
“The project does not involve any land acquisition. Instead, the terminal building will be two-storeys featuring both an arrival and departure hall.
“This will benefit travelers in terms of both safety and comfort, in line with international aviation rules,” he said.
He said the project is testament to the government’s effort to upgrade infrastructure in the state.
Kamaruddin was speaking to reporters after attending a groundbreaking ceremony for the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) depot and upgrade of the Tumpat railway station.
The two projects are expected to cost RM24 million. Once completed, it will accommodate 13 diesel multiple unit (DMU) trains from China, with the total cost amounting to RM380 million.
Kamaruddin said the upgrading works to the Tumpat station is to cater to the increasing passenger numbers, estimated to be around 1,500 people daily.
“The depot will cover 4.7 hectares and will be used to house all 13 DMU trains.
“The DMU, which are expected to arrive by the year-end, will be used for the East Coast route from Tumpat to Gemas and Johor Bahru,” he said.