MUKAH: The new Mukah Airport here apart from enhancing the air transportation network, will help strengthen the division's position as a contributor to the economic development of Sarawak.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the airport will help boost economic opportunities and generate multi-layer impact which in turn will benefit the people in Mukah and its surrounding areas.
He said the airport, which comprises a new terminal building and a runway spanning 1,500 metres, has the potential to support activities carried out within the Sarawak Corridor of Renewal Energy (SCORE) and this, in turn, would subsequently establish a more effective and efficient economic network in the future.
"I was informed that the new airport can accommodate and utilise ATR aircraft enabling it to fly more passengers compared to the Twin Otter aircraft previously.
"With the upgrade, the new Mukah Airport can handle greater passenger volume and strengthen the position of Mukah as a contributor towards the economic development in Sarawak," he said in his speech at the official opening of the new Mukah Airport here today.
Also present were Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg and federal Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
Ismail Sabri said MASwings, the regional carrier, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, currently has four services in the division from other parts of the state.
They are the Kuching - Mukah route, with a frequency of 28 flights weekly; seven flights weekly between Miri and Mukah; three flights weekly between Sibu and Mukah; as well as two flights weekly between Bintulu and Mukah.
Air travel, Ismail Sabri explained, is an important mode of transportation for Sarawakians as well as the state due to its geographical size and located on the third largest island in the world.
"Airports are not merely a place for departure and arrival involving aircraft but also the gateway for transporting passengers as well as goods from various destinations which are closely linked to economic activities," he said.
As such, he said the government through the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) will carry out the rationalisation exercise of the Rural Services Agreement (RSA) to improve services rendered by MASwings.
He said the exercise will include reviewing the objective of RAS, the financial implications involved, routes and frequency of RAS flights, fare rate, aircraft utilisation for the route and subsidy distribution mechanism for users of the services from time to time.
"These are among the efforts undertaken by the government to ensure the people, especially those residing in the rural areas can have access to the best services," he said.
Apart from building airports that are modern and comfortable for users, Ismail Sabri said the government must also ensure that the Air Traffic Management System will continue to be upgraded in terms of preparedness and capacities and that it could accommodate increasing air traffic movements in the future.
He said the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) under the Transport Ministry has been tasked to ensure the capacity of the Air Traffic Management System could be strengthened in line with the modernisation and increase in air traffic.
"Under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), the government has approved RM19.4 million worth of projects to upgrade the Air Traffic Management System," he said.