KIA in need of a lot of upgrading, says Abd Karim
The facilities in Sarawak airports, especially Kuching International Airport (KIA), need to be upgraded to the same standard as other international airports in the country, says Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
The Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts said KIA in particular should have quality facilities such as good toilets, efficient check-in counters, baggage check-out and so on to meet the expectations of international travellers.
“Personally, I see that our airport needs a lot of upgrading and from what I have seen, I am very, very disappointed.
“I hope that MAHB (Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad) won’t just focus on KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) because Kuching’s one is also an international airport, like the one in Kota Kinabalu as well.
“We do have visitors who come internationally – they must also see all that (poor facilities),” he said at a press conference here yesterday to announce Sarawak’s participation in the upcoming IMEX Frankfurt 2024.
Pointing out that the number of people passing through KIA now has exceeded all previous projections, Abdul Karim also said there is a need for it to be upgraded into a bigger airport.
“But before it gets to that stage, it is not wrong to make sure that the available facilities are suitable, especially when you depart from Sarawak.
“If you depart for an international destination, for example going to Singapore, you enter the departure hall but there is no toilet,” he said, stressing there must be a standard regardless whether an airport is small or large.
He thus hoped that the relevant authorities would look into the matter and not just give ‘simple’ answers.
“I have to admit that what has been done for KIA has not really hit the mark. Whether it’s in terms of the toilet, whether it’s in terms of the services, you have to do something,” he said.