KOTA BARU: The government has agreed to extend the runway at the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport (LTSIP) from 2,400m to 2,800m so that it can 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 last Wednesday.
“The Cabinet agreed to extend the LTSIP runway by 400m. It is not required to go through the tender process because it is part of the LTSIP expansion and upgrading project, which has entered the second phase.
“We will also discuss with the Economy Ministry and Finance Ministry on additional allocation for this project and are confident that it can be done properly and quickly,” he told Bernama after meeting Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud in Kota Darulnaim here yesterday.
Elaborating, Loke said his ministry would also hold talks with the contractors involved to discuss the subsequent processes, like the technical aspects, price and safety, which are expected to take two to three months before work on the runway starts.
Phase 1 of the LTSIP terminal, which started on May 1, will enable it to accommodate 1.5 million passengers, while Phase 2, which will be implemented immediately, is expected to increase the capacity to four million passengers.
The LTSIP expansion and upgrading project will cost RM440mil.
In another development, Loke said his ministry would conduct a detailed study on the possible connection for the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) alignment from Tunjong here to Rantau Panjang in Pasir Mas.
“There are several matters that need to be studied and discussions with the stakeholders because the construction cost is estimated to be RM2bil,” he said.
