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| One for the album: Mohd Sharkar (sixth from left) posing for a group photo with crewmen and tourism officials upon touch down of the inaugural Malindo Air flight from Subang. |
KUANTAN: The Kuantan airport will be upgraded to provide better facilities for the people to enjoy air travel, Pahang Culture and Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin said.
Mohd Sharkar said the project costing about RM20mil would be carried out in two phases. He said work on the first phase had already started and is expected to be completed by year end.
“We want our Kuantan airport to be of international standards and meet the specifications of the aviation industry.
“Upon completion, we would be able to promote air travel and entice more visitors to Pahang, particularly to places of interest in Kuantan, Cherating and Pekan,” he said during a recent ceremony to welcome the inaugural flight from Malindo Air.
The new budget airline will fly in to Kuantan from Subang four times a week.
Mohd Sharkar, who is the Lanchang assemblyman, said plans were also in the pipeline to extend the runway in Tioman Island to accommodate bigger aircraft to land in the popular island.
He said currently, only small aircrafts carrying 48 passengers could land in the runway at Kampung Tekek.
“We have submitted a proposal to the Government and are waiting for approval on the matter.
“If given the green light, we can further boost accessibility and the state tourism sector,” he said, adding that air travel was now a necessity and no longer a luxury.
Mohd Sharkar said the state welcomed more airlines to fly into the state to provide more choices for the people, including chartered flights from Taiwan and China.
Pahang is expected to see 12 million tourists visit the state this year.
Source: The Star Online | 17 September 2014
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