KOTA BARU: The government has agreed to extend the runway at the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport here from 2,400m to 2,800m for it to become an international airport.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the decision was made after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim held a Cabinet meeting to discuss the matter on Wednesday (May 8).
"The Cabinet agreed to extend the runway by 400m to turn it into an international airport. It is not required to go through the tender process because it is part of the airport expansion and upgrading project, which has entered the second phase.
"We will also discuss with the Economy and Finance Ministries to obtain an additional allocation for this project and confident that it can be done properly and quickly," he said after meeting Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud in Kota Darulnaim here today.
Loke said his ministry would also hold talks with contractors involved to discuss the subsequent processes, like the technical aspects, price and safety, which are expected to take two to three months before the runway construction is carried out.
Phase 1 of the terminal, which commenced operations on May 1, is able accommodate 1.5 million passengers while phase 2, which will be implemented immediately, is expected to increase the capacity to four million passengers.
The airport's expansion and upgrading project will cost RM440mil.
In another development, Loke said his ministry will conduct a detailed study on the connection of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) alignment from Tunjong in Kota Baru to Rantau Panjang in Pasir Mas.
"There are several matters that need to be studied and discussions held with the stakeholders because the construction cost is estimated to be RM2bil," he said. – Bernama
