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Tawau (TWU) airport

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AIRSIDE

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If you know where the former cargo depot is, it is where you can enter the runway. The former cargo depot was the true oldest Tawau airport, it was where the original terminal was when they were using the DC-3s.

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Slowly, nature is creeping over and claiming this former airport of ours.

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Illegal Squatters?

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These guys were oggling at me while I took photo of them

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The end of the runway was where the Fokker F-50 and a small aircraft crashed during the mid-90s.

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This is the other end of the runway. Due to years of negligence, plenty of locals used the runway as a drag strip to test their performance of their car.

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nice picture, can share in urban exploration sites

 

Thanks. Those were photos taken back in 2012.

 

I have an updated ones which I took 2 weeks ago... will upload it soon

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is there any planned development for this plot of land..i believe it's in the city centre....

 

I have seen plans drawn up for this plot of land as far back as 2001 before this airport is closed. Zonned as commercial and parts of it will become governmental use. Nothing has materialised, which is normal in Tawau. Not enough business to make things happen.

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Here is what I found from Dr. Hiew of Sabah DAP's website, apparently it can be a flying school!

 

http://www.sabahdap.org/2009/06/old-tawau-airport-what-next.html

 


Old Tawau Airport: What's next?

 

The Kota Kinabalu Member of Parliament Dr. Hiew King Cheu visited the old Tawau airport last Sunday during the state round tour of the DAP mobile service. The concern Tawau folks wanted the MP to find out what is the government going to do with this long abandon airport. This airport is used to be the main airport serving the Tawau area until the new airport is in use.

Dr. Hiew said that this is a Federal matter, and the old Tawau Airport should be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transport. He said he can bring this matter up with the Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat in the coming Parliament sitting on the 15th June, to enquire about the decision on the
abandon airport.

The old airport is sited just by the side of the Tawau town centre and it covers a total area of 300 over acres. It is next to the town and it is a waste to leave it abandon like this, claimed one of the complainers. In order to make good use of the old airport which is still in good condition, both the building and the runway strip, Dr. Hiew suggested that the flying club and its school to make use of the airport for their flying training courses. The old airport can also be converted to house the hospital emergency helipad for helicopters bringing in patients from the rural district for emergency medical treatment. This is because the Tawau General Hospital is just one kilometer away. Besides, it is important to consider the possibility to move the highly congested bus terminal away from the town centre to this airport location. This will help to ease the traffic congestion of the town too. Since the bus terminal is also part of the
responsiblity of the Federal Transport Ministry, this can be easily arranged.

There are many other viable proposals for the conversion of the old airport land to proper usage that can bring benefit to the Tawau folks, and it should only
be use for public purpose only. Hiew said that he was told that some private companies wanted to take over the 300 acres for private development. He hopes the government will not approve this type of personal gain proposal. The peoples’ interest must be protected and promoted.

On the new Tawau airport, it
is surprise to see that there are so many items on the list which needed immediate attention by the Malaysia Airport Bhd. (MAB). The air conditioning system in the boarding waiting hall is out of service about one and a half months now, and there is no sign of its repair. There are only two stand-fans blowing the hot waiting room. The lighting is not enough, and it is so dark at places because many lights are not switch on. Are they trying to safe money? There is complaint that the canteen closed at 5pm and passenger can’t get to buy food and drinks, the time must follow the flight schedules. Besides, the toilets are not clean and the floor tiles are torn off. The MAB has to immediately put right the situation in the airport, due to Tawau airport is the important tourist gateway.

Dr. Hiew King Cheu. KK MP

Edited by S V Choong

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First time to see an A400M in TWU?

 

By the way, the A342 should be piloted by his Royal Highness, no?

 

A400M has been a regular at TWU since last year after the 1st delivery of the A400M to TUDM. As it is trackable via ADS-B so will show on FR24 if they have it turned on.

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Yes, it shows up as A400 on FR24 - but now that there are two aircraft, you can't identify which aircraft it is.

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Busy day on CNY...

12743892_10153526906713789_3260839327438

 

Great Shot! :clapping:

Spotted an interesting bird while on the way to the airport during CNY. B744!

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Edited by Ellist

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Spotted an interesting bird while on the way to the airport during CNY. B744!

Was that on Sat, 06 Feb ?

Could well have been V8-ALI :)

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Was that on Sat, 06 Feb ?

Could well have been V8-ALI :)

 

Nah, not V8-ALI, V8-ALI should be ex-LH B747-430. B747-428 belonged to Air France (28 being Air France customer code). Got to be someone else!

 

It had been on holding pattern for quite sometime. Doubt TWU can handle B747 sized aircraft? Could also check DCA TWU's page to see if they have posted anything.

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Nah, not V8-ALI, V8-ALI should be ex-LH B747-430 ..... Got to be someone else!

Ok, good point there :)

However, it was probably the same bird I saw flying off on that Saturday morning

Saw on FR24 she had departed from BWN, flown a few loops over Labuan island, came over to BKI, then flew off north-eastwards then south-eastwards towards SDK/TWU

Would take some effort to imagine anyone else doing that sort of pattern :D

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Sorry S V, but I think it's highly probable that it's V8-ALI. Quite common to see the plane (or the B767 and A340) doing touch and go in TWU and SDK, and sometimes dropping by BKI for just 1 round before heading back to BWN. At the moment TWU seems to be the preferred playground. From FR usually no indication of flight rego, perhaps the same reason why 9M-NAA and NAB not shown too.

 

This was on Jan 25, same pattern.

 

12584174_1249863041707566_1117252039_n.j

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Sorry S V, but I think it's highly probable that it's V8-ALI. Quite common to see the plane (or the B767 and A340) doing touch and go in TWU and SDK, and sometimes dropping by BKI for just 1 round before heading back to BWN. At the moment TWU seems to be the preferred playground. From FR usually no indication of flight rego, perhaps the same reason why 9M-NAA and NAB not shown too.

 

This was on Jan 25, same pattern.

 

12584174_1249863041707566_1117252039_n.j

 

Sorry Waiping, can't seemed to see your photo. I think the link is broken?

 

Was that a dubious registration applied to V8-ALI?

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Sorry Waiping, can't seemed to see your photo. I think the link is broken?

 

Was that a dubious registration applied to V8-ALI?

usually on flightradar v8-ali can only be seen as b744 same for his a342 and b762. Rego will not be shown. These aircrafts are known to do touch n go around north borneo namely MYY, BKI, SDK-and TWU on a weekly to monthly basis sometimes.

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usually on flightradar v8-ali can only be seen as b744 same for his a342 and b762. Rego will not be shown. These aircrafts are known to do touch n go around north borneo namely MYY, BKI, SDK-and TWU on a weekly to monthly basis sometimes.

 

Thanks for the info.

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Some ordinary traffic at TWU. But still, it is busy as usual for such a small airport. :acute:

Photo credit to my friend.

 

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Edited by Ellist

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