KUCHING: To improve and enhance the air navigational system at the Kuching International Airport (KIA), the radar station will be replaced at the cost of RM30 million.
According to Assistant Minister for Land and Air Transportation and Safety Datuk Lee Kim Shin, this is expected to be implemented next year.
“The radar station is an important aid in navigation and we must have a system that is good and reliable.
“We have three radar stations in Kuching, Sibu, and Miri that overlap each other to cover for each other should any one of them have problems; like if the radar in Sibu is down then the one in Kuching will cover it and that goes the same for the one in Miri,” he said during a press conference at Baitulmakmur here, yesterday.
Lee said RM30 million had been approved to improve the air traffic management at Miri Airport.
He urged Malaysia Airport Berhad to have stringent maintenance schedule of the facilities at airports, particularly, the escalators and lifts.
He said last year, 4.8 million people used Kuching International Airport and the airport management had to adhere to the maintenance schedule.
Also last year, Miri Airport saw 2.2 million users, Sibu Airport (1.4 million), Bintulu Airport (810,000) and Limbang Airport (65,000).
Short take-offs and landings (STOL) in the state saw 258,372 users last year.
Earlier, Lee had a briefing with the relevant departments and agencies responsible for air transportation and the management of airports.
Also present was Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Transportation Safri Zainudin.
