The Sabah Nextgen Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in Malaysia chairman said constructing a new terminal at KKIA was just a short-term solution and would not address its current limitations.
“Despite being the second busiest airport in Malaysia, KKIA is still a single-runway airport, while the busiest airport in the country, KLIA, has three runways to fulfil air travel demand.
“Building a new terminal to cater to KKIA’s growing demand, unfortunately, does not meet its future needs. At the very least, Sabah needs an airport with a dual runway to cater to its future growth,” he told reporters here.
In July, Qhazanah Sabah Bhd chairman Yusof Yacob said the feasibility study on KKIA’s relocation had been completed, and the report would be presented to the authorities.
Qhazanah, a Sabah GLC, previously inked a memorandum of understanding with Berjaya Land to study the feasibility of relocating the airport to Kimanis, about 60km from Kota Kinabalu.
Faizal said the airport’s current site did not have much room for expansion due to its proximity to the coastline and its densely populated surroundings.
“Any attempt at land reclamation will also adversely affect the beauty of Tanjung Aru and jeopardise future development in the area and its surroundings.
“We should learn from the issues previously faced by Subang Airport, which ultimately forced its relocation and the construction of KLIA in Sepang,” he said.
He noted that KKIA was nearing its maximum capacity of 10 million passengers per annum, and was already handling approximately nine million passengers annually.
“Investing in and modernising its facilities will not attract investors and improve Sabah’s air connectivity.
“It also leverages its advantage and complements developments in Kalimantan, as well as in the BIMP-EAGA (Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area) region,” he said.
Faizal said the current facility’s imminent saturation underscored the urgency of the proposed relocation to Kimanis or Tuaran.
“Both locations offer ample space and resources to accommodate the escalating number of passengers and sustain the trajectory of Sabah’s aviation sector,” he said.
However, he cautioned that any proposed relocation would need to undergo thorough assessments, feasibility studies, and community consultations to ensure alignment with both regulatory requirements and the best interests of all stakeholders involved.