The ministry said the LTSIP upgrading project was ongoing, with the first phase of construction works scheduled for completion on April 30, 2024.

“Upon full completion, the new LTSIP terminal will be able to accommodate up to four million passengers annually,” it said in a written reply on the Parliament website yesterday.

It was responding to Ahmad Marzuk Shaary (PN-Pengkalan Chepa), who asked about the latest status of the LTSIP.

In line with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement on May 2, the ministry said it was also examining the technical scope and cost estimates to extend the runway at LTSIP by an additional 400m, bringing the total length to 2,800m.

The ministry said this extension would allow LTSIP to fully support the operation of Code 3C aircraft such as the Boeing 737-Max and Airbus 321 Neo, with a travel range of up to five hours.

The extension project is expected to take 18 months to complete.

“With the implementation of the upgrade project and the runway extension, LTSIP will provide greater comfort to passengers and enable international flight operations, similar to the Kuantan and Ipoh airports, which have flights to Singapore,” the ministry added.