KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 31): The federal government has approved a RM60 million allocation for the expansion of the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport in Ipoh, Perak, according to Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming.
Nga labelled the news as long-awaited and a special Chinese New Year gift from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, noting the airport — which has an annual capacity of 500,000 passengers — exceeded its limit last year reaching 512,000 passengers.
“With this expansion, the airport will be able to handle up to 700,000 passengers annually,” he told the press following Anwar’s attendance at the Perak Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chinese New Year open house on Friday.
The development will be undertaken in phases, according to Nga, with RM8 million allocated for the first phase and RM52 million for the second.
“Additionally, the Ipoh City Council will contribute RM4 million to improve the airport’s entrance and exit routes,” he added.
Besides the capacity expansion, Nga noted that a 26-acre plot of land adjacent to the airport will be developed as a cargo facility.
He said this is to strengthen Perak’s position by enabling the export of high-value products to countries such as Singapore and Bangkok.
Nga also assured the airport expansion project would not affect any existing residential areas in the surroundings, citing projections done by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd or MAHB (KL:AIRPORT).
Back in December last year, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said a proposal from the Perak government was being studied to build a cargo warehousing complex at the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport.