KUCHING: The Short Take-Off Airport (STOLport) in Kapit and Belaga is an out-dated idea, according to Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing.
Besides, the state Minister for Transport said it will soon be rendered redundant when both Kapit and Belaga are accessible by road.
“Now Belaga town is connected and in two years’ time, Kapit town will be connected to Sibu by a sealed road, so STolport will be redundant,” he said yesterday.
Masing said that the new proposal is to build in Sg Tunoh an airport that can cater for at least the ATR (twin-turboprop, short-haul regional service).
The airport in Sg Tunoh is necessary because of the need to provide security for the three huge hydro-electric projects of Bakun, Murum and Baleh which are near the border with Indonesia.
Besides, he said, it will create accessibility to Hose Mountain National Park (200 acres) and Bakun lake ecotourism destination and also serve the planned food basket in Sg Tunoh.
He said Sg Tunoh airport is urgently needed to open up the central region of Sarawak which is within the Urban and Rural Development area (Urda).
“Feasibility study on Sg Tunoh airport is now in progress,” he added.
