Saturday June 13, 2009
RM50mil to extend airport runway
KOTA BHARU: A RM50mil fund has been allocated to extend the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport runway at Pengkalan Chepa to accommodate bigger and more aircraft, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.
He said ministry studies showed that the airport was the busiest in the east coast and recorded the highest number of passengers.
The upgrading, he said, was needed to accommodate future expansion of flights to Kota Bharu and direct flights from Singapore.
Thirteen towns, except for Kota Bharu, have direct flights to Singapore, Ong said, adding that the Government would not neglect Kelantan despite it being under the control of the Opposition.
The MCA president said this in his speech to Kelantan MCA leaders on Thursday night in conjunction with the party’s 60th anniversary.
Ong said since Kuantan and Kuala Terengganu had direct flights to Singapore, it was only fair to upgrade the airport there.
He, however, did not say when the project would start, adding that plans were afoot to have flights from Thailand and other neighbouring countries from the airport.
Such plans, he said, would help increase tourism activities in Kelantan and enable the people secure jobs to enhance their standard of living.
Ong also advised MCA members in the state to carry on the struggle to help the Chinese community despite living in an opposition state.
He said PAS would not rule Kelantan forever and that members must keep the party’s presence alive.
RM50 million is not enough to extend the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport runway. If only RM50 million, the runway can be extended from 1981 metres to 2,234 metres only (RM198,019.80 per metre). If RM100 million, the airport runway can be extended to 2,486 metres.
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