New Mukah airport opens tomorrow - The Borneo Post
The New Mukah Airport will commence operations tomorrow starting with the first arrival of MASwings’s DHC6 Viking Air flight MH3553 at 9.10am from Miri.
KUCHING (June 16): The new Mukah Airport will be open for operations tomorrow, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
To mark the occasion, he said MASwings’s DHC6 Viking Air flight MH3553 will be the first arrival at 9.10am from Miri with the first departure at 9.30am to Kuching on flight MH3412.
“The Ministry of Transport and Sarawak government are confident that the New Mukah Airport will be a catalysing factor to the development of the Sarawak Government’s Economic Plan for Score (Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy),” he said in a statement.
He said the airport is expected to encourage more local economic growth by facilitating the movement of various export goods including agriculture and aquaculture products such as sago, pineapples, and umai, a local delicacy.
“The coastal district of Mukah is an area known for its food and agricultural products as part of Sarawak’s food basket area stretching from Betong to Sarikei,” he added.
He also said that the New Mukah Airport aims to be a part of Mukah’s growth including supporting its development as an education and research hub, alongside the Matadeng Industrial Park.
“With the operation of the New Mukah Airport, it is hoped that the supplies of Covid-19 vaccines for rural areas can be expedited to build herd immunity through the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme,” he said.
The new Mukah Airport, located seven kilometres from Mukah town, began construction on August 11, 2017 to replace the nearby STOLport (short take-off and landing airport) in Mukah.
An aerial view of the new Mukah Airport.
“It can accommodate up to 265,000 passengers per year and larger aircraft if needed,” said Wee.
He said the new airport is designed with better comfort in mind for Mukah residents, making it a new rural hub for air travel and cargo shipping
“It sits on a 3,125 square-metre land, with a 1,500-metre by 30-metre runway, while the apron and taxiway are 15 metres.
“There is parking capacity for 100 cars, 20 taxis, 2 buses with space for 20 motorcycles,” he said.
Alongside the air traffic control tower, there are also offices to house the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia, Meteorological Department, and Fire and Rescue Services.
The facility is equipped with Wing and Runway Visual Range (WRVR) system and Doppler VHF Omnidirectional Range (DVOR) radio navigation system as well as a simple approach lighting system.