Work to begin on new Tioman airport
After years of uncertainty, the construction of a new airport on Pulau Tioman will finally become a reality.
Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail said the cabinet had given its approval and work would start soon.
“Work to build an airport in Kampung Tekek is in the early stages. What is important is that the cabinet and state government have agreed. The land has been identified. The project will be carried out by a private firm with the state government’s cooperation.”
Wan Rosdy said this after opening the state-level World Town Planning Day and International Day of Forests at Pantai Air Leleh, near here, yesterday.
Present were State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Seri Ishak Muhammad and state Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Abdul Rahim Muda.
Previously, there were proposals to either upgrade the existing airport in Kampung Tekek or build a new one on the island, but nothing had materialised due to environmental concerns.
In 2003, the federal government had planned to build a RM120 million airport in Kampung Paya on the island, which would feature a 2,000m-long and 45m-wide runway.
However, the then transport minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat cancelled the plan in 2009, saying the decision was reached after taking into consideration various factors, especially the environment.
In 2014, the government said it was mulling a realignment of the airport’s existing airstrip to accommodate the Aerei da Trasporto Regionale (ATR) turboprop aircraft, but the project failed to take off.
The proposal included lengthening the 992m airstrip in Kampung Tekek to 1,200m to accommodate the 72-seater ATR aircraft as the airstrip catered only to Berjaya Air’s 48-seater DeHavilland Dash 7 aircraft.
Since Berjaya Air ceased operations several years ago, only chartered 12-seater single-engine flights are available.
In June last year, Berjaya Group founder and executive chairman Tan Sri Vincent Tan announced plans to build an airport on the island to boost connectivity and tourism. It was reported that the construction of the airport would cost RM1.2 billion.