Terengganu

[BC Tam 2]

Form theStar online today

 

Wednesday June 4, 2008 MYT 5:01:40 PM

T’ganu wants airport turned into regional hub

By R.S.N. MURALI

 

 

KUALA TERENGGANU: The Terengganu Government has proposed to the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) that the Sultan Mahmud Airport here be turned into a regional hub for airlines servicing international routes.

 

Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said said the state government had submitted the proposition to the DCA and was still awaiting response.

 

"The airport is located close to Kunming in China, Saigon and Hong Kong, so airlines operating these routes could establish their regional offices, here," he said Wednesday after chairing the weekly state exco meeting here.

 

Ahmad said the new airport terminal and extended runway could accommodate jumbo jets like the Boeing 747 starting this September.

 

"We also see the maiden flights carrying 8,000 pilgrims from east coast states from the airport here direct to Mecca.

 

"Twenty Boeing 747s owned by Malaysian Airlines (MAS) will used the airport to ferry the pilgrims to the holy land," he said.

 

Ahmad said another 15 cargo planes, all 747s, will also utilise the airport to transport horses for the World Equestrian Endurance Championship at Lembah Bidong, Setiu, this November.

 

``Therefore, the airport could be elevated to a regional hub so that passengers could embark on direct flights to destinations in China and Hong Kong," he said.

 

Ahmad said the state government would also build an aircraft refuelling facility at the airport so planes could transit here.

 

"We will hold a meeting to outlay the details on the estimated cost of building such facilities as this matter was not included in the allocation for upgrading the airport,” he added.

 

Interesting huh ?!

Edited June 4, 2008 by BC Tam

[M A Muzammil 0]

20 747s? 15 cargo 747s? Preposterous

[Desmond Loo 0]

very ambitious!!!!!! Wonder if the MB has actually done a feasibility study before announcing this large scale plan.

[Andrew K 0]

I think thats 20 jumbo flights all in all if its true. The airport has 4 bays and only 2 have bridges at the moment. Its a pretty messy construction site and the runway extension over the land is completed and it'll be interesting to see if they can complete the land reclaimation and all into the sea. Then again, they did a pretty good job so far extending it into the water. I went from seeing nothing over the sea to a small island to a slowly growing extension of the runway being built up. The old terminal was demolished about 4-6 weeks ago, and the new building, while physically complete, has yet to be completely furnished. Nonetheless, I'm sure its a huge improvement over the old one.

[Ewan Shamsudin 0]

As usual, since we are successfully organising a seasonal kenduri, let's open a big restaurant.

 

Can't believe there are still talks like this in this time of adversity blanketing the nation.

[KK Lee 5]

 

Likewise, AOR is closer to LHR, FRA, BKK, DXB, etc than KUL, airlines should set up a hub there instead. An excuse to spend ‘wang ehsan’.

 

[Mushrif A 3]

Yes, airlines need to stop at TGG before going to HKG, etc. Apart from the huge critical mass of travellers originating at TGG, airlines of today use Dakotas that need to stop somewhere anyway....so why not TGG? The likes of EK will no longer fly to HKG non-stop, but will fly DXB-MCT-KHI-DEL-CCU-DAC-BKK-TGG-PNH-HAN-HKG.

[BC Tam 2]

The likes of EK will no longer fly to HKG non-stop, but will fly DXB-MCT-KHI-DEL-CCU-DAC-BKK-TGG-PNH-HAN-HKG.

Sounds good, especially if they operate a spanking new 773ER on the route, upgradable to the flying dugong when she enters service with EK

 

Yeah, the "transit" bit was the part that tickled me most, in this day and age where ultra long hauls are operationally possible

The bright side though is that Jet A1 likely to be available soon ? Good news for flying pilots amongst us ?

[mokhzani 0]

I went toTerengganu last week for a litle RnR. Wouldn't miss the compulsory airport visit beside the sea while eating "sotong goreng tepung" (fried squid covered with batter). Here's some pictures of land reclamation for the runway extension. The extension it seems covers both ends.

 

 

 

 

Love the sea, too bad can't swim, very dangerous.

 

[Kenneth T 0]

A dream that never comes true....

[Maarof Kassim 0]

I was in KT too, this is the proof.

 

Edited June 5, 2008 by Maarof Kassim

[mokhzani 0]

I was in KT too, this is the proof.

 

Tn Haji, senang dapat Hotel? Saya terpaksa tidur di chalet di Marang. Rancangan saat akhir.

[Easy getting hotel rooms? last minute planning] but might as well.....

 

 

 

 

[Naim 6]

Tn Haji, senang dapat Hotel? Saya terpaksa tidur di chalet di Marang. Rancangan saat akhir.

[Easy getting hotel rooms? last minute planning] but might as well.....

...

 

Try northwards to Merang and Setiu. Great beaches there, but still no match for Krabi.

Edited June 5, 2008 by Naim

[Rozhan 0]

The scenic beach has been ruined by the runway extension. Wonder if they will build a road around the runway (like LGK) so that motorists can drive to the other side of the beach.

[Andrew K 0]

For those of you wondering what Terengganu Airport is like now, watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpU6VOWNgng Took the video about 3 days ago.

 

Its a landing video so skip till 02:50. Camera was behind the compass.

[Nik H. 3]

"Twenty Boeing 747s owned by Malaysian Airlines (MAS) will used the airport to ferry the pilgrims to the holy land," he said.

 

When are they gonna inform me about this?

 

And also, minor detail, is fuel now available in TGG?

[Sri Ramani K. 0]

And also, minor detail, is fuel now available in TGG?

 

i still believe fuel is NOT available in TGG, AOR, KBR. an AK flight to TGG some 2 months ago got delayed for almost 4 hrs when it NEEDED to refuel at TGG.

[zaki 0]

For those of you wondering what Terengganu Airport is like now, watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpU6VOWNgng

 

Wow, nice approach. Never been to TGG before.

 

I would love to be on that beach watching planes landing and taking off (well.. I wish the airport has a lot of them).

[Naim 6]

I went toTerengganu last week for a litle RnR. Wouldn't miss the compulsory airport visit beside the sea while eating "sotong goreng tepung" (fried squid covered with batter). Here's some pictures of land reclamation for the runway extension. The extension it seems covers both ends.

...

 

Pics look similar to the runway jutting out into the sea at DPS, Bali.

[Radzi 2]

When are they gonna inform me about this?

 

And also, minor detail, is fuel now available in TGG?

 

Still a no fuel station, and still without ILS.

[Ewan Shamsudin 0]

I think BN Menteri's Besar refer to the same guidebook.

 

How to gain 'pembangunan' points..

.

.

3. Announce grand plans for your state's airport regardless of what facts and figures show. Use the word 'hub' liberally across your press release. Have Tony Fernandes to speak about the same thing too and voila!, good press for both him and you. Remember that the press in Malaysia adores news about the aviation industry.

When all the rosy bubbles pop in the end (you know they will), you can always blame it on the Ministry of Transport and global oil price hike. It's okay. By then the rakyat will have forgotten all about it, and the contractor will have been paid fully for their sub-standard finishing of the new terminal refurbishment project.

At the end of the day, everyone's (still) happy.

[BC Tam 2]

Cikgu,

'Guidebooks' are for novices, venturing unto uncertain territories

Those chaps have had so much practical experience in this area they've probably refined it down to 'check-list' and 'flow-chart' details !