AirAsia To Start Operation In Melaka's Bukit Berendam Airport Dec 8

Bernama 13 August 2008

MELAKA, Aug 13 (Bernama) -- Low cost carrier AirAsia is expected to start its operations this December 8 at Melaka's Batu Berendam Airport (LTBB) which is undergoing a facelift worth RM131.5 million.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said six destinations had been identified by Air Asia for its initial operations comprising four places in Sumatra and two domestic destinations.

"The destinations jointly agreed upon, using the Boeing 737 aircraft, are Palembang, Pekan Baru, Padang and Medan in Sumatra, and Pulau Pinang and Langkawi," he told reporters after chairing the Exco meeting here Wednesday.

Also present at Wednesday's event was Air Asia chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes, chairman of Air Asia Datuk Aziz Bakar and the general manager of Malaysia Airports Bhd, Abdul Rahman Karim.

Mohd Ali said the four major towns in Sumatra were selected based on their potential for medical tourism while Pulau Pinang and Langkawi for their popularity as tourist destinations.

"Among other destinations being suggested are Jakarta, Kota Kinabalu and Nanjing in China and we have opened negotiations to other airline companies besides Air Asia which showed an early commitment to use the LTBB," he said.

The expansion and upgrading work on LTBB which started last April is expected to be completed in April next year and a major aim is to provide facilities to medical tourists.

The number of medical tourists who sought medical assistance in the specialist hospital in Melaka is estimated to have gone up to more than 67,000 people last year compared with 18,000 people in 2004 with most of them coming from Sumatra.

Work on LTBB is being carried out by the Uni-Integrated consortium which will construct a new terminal covering 7,000 sq metres and is expected to be equipped with various facilities to cater to both domestic and international flights.

Mohd Ali said the Batu Berendam airport will be able to handle a capacity of 1.5 million passengers a year, adding that some 500,000 visitors were expected in the first five years.

On the runway, which would have to be extended by 400 metres to 2,200 metres from the current 1,800 metres, he said the contractors involved in the expansion of LTBB had agreed to first bear the cost of RM40 million.

"I am giving the guarantee to the contractors that the state government will pay the RM40 million after a period of several years," he said.

He said that the application for the RM40 million has been also submitted to the Transport Ministry and is currently under consideration.

The extension of the runway to 2,200 metres is in line with international specifications for the safe and comfortable landing of an Airbus 320.

Meanwhile, Tony said Air Asia was ready to cooperate with the Melaka government. He also described Melaka as having great potential as a tourist destination especially in medical tourism.

"Coincidentally, Dec 8 is also the anniversary date of Air Asia and we are ready to take on a role in LTBB and hope to transport many tourists through the LTBB," he said.-- BERNAMA

Batu Berendam Airport, Melaka

Melaka lies 148km south of Kuala Lumpur and is linked by the North-South Highway with gateway into Melaka via Ayer Keroh and Simpang Empat exit toll. To the many visitors, the existence of an airport in Melaka would be furthest from their mind as Melaka is approximately 2 hours drive from KL and Johor/Singapore.

For many years this airport had been lagging behind as flights from other states had been deemed non-feasible due to the close proximity via road. This was the main reason that the historic 1952 Batu Berendam Melaka airport (IATA: MKZ, ICAO: WMKM) was truly forgotten till 2006 when the Government announced that the airport will go through expansion works will turn it into a world-class airport. The airport is located 10km from the city centre.

The airport currently serves Riau Airlines which shuttles between Melaka and Pekan Baru which had transformed the state into a medical and healthcare hub for Indonesians particularly from Sumatera. Air Asia are now considering making this airport their base for low cost flights into Indonesia while Fire Fly would consider direct Penang-Melaka flights soon.

Malaysian Flying Academy had also been operating at the airport since 1987 and due to the length of the present runway, it is able to cater only small turbo-prop aircraft.

Once completed, the airport will have a runway which is 45m wide and 1,800m long. The terminal building will have a 7,000 square meter area and equipped with high technology aeronautical devices and landing aid for aircraft. Aerobridges would also be a feature of this new airport and the whole expansion project is expected to be completed by April 2009, perhaps in time for the Historical City Day.

With the new airport, there would be space for two Airbus A320 aircraft as well as parking bays for four aircraft, with a one-storey terminal to accommodate arrivals and departures of the passengers. This would serve as a catalyst to enhance the state into a world tourist destination.