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News About Sultan Azlan Shah Airport, Ipoh

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August 13, 2009 22:09 PM

 

Govt Agrees To Upgrade Sultan Azlan Shah Airport - Ong

 

IPOH, Aug 13 (Bernama) -- The government has agreed to upgrade the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport here, with the cost of about RM120 million, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said.

 

He said the upgrading works would cover the terminal building, extension of runway to 2km from the existing 1.8km and the construction of another taxiway.

 

"The government agrees to upgrade the airport and I hope that it can be implemented as soon as possible," he told reporters after attending a closed-door briefing by airport officials here Thursday.

 

The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, and the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, as well as Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir also attended the briefing.

 

Ong said the decision to upgrade the airport showed the commitment on the part of the government which had earlier given approvals to Malaysia and Singapore airlines to operate the Ipoh-Singapore sector.

 

Apart from Malaysia's budget carriers of Firefly and AirAsia, Singapore's budget carriers, Tiger Airways and Jetstar Asia Airways, would also operate the route.

 

He said the upgrading would not involve the relocation of residents in several housing areas near the airport.

 

-- BERNAMA

 

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/news_lite.php?id=432718

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Extending the runway 200m only - so I wonder if the Airbus A320 can land? I think they need about 2.3 km for a safe landing, especially in the wet. If the A320 cannot land, then how can AirAsia, Jetstar and Tiger service Ipoh?

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Contrary to popular belief, the A320 and B737NG IS able to operate on a runway of length 1,800m and width of 30m. I've seen it. Maroochydore Airport on the Sunshine Coast in QLD receives countless A320 and B737NG flights from around Australia - as far as Adelaide - EVERYDAY!!! YBMC is semi tropical with a fair amount of wet weather, has VOR & NDB approaches for both ends of the main runway 18/36, NO ILS, and is situated along the coast line with regular crosswinds of 15-20 knots. Did i mention the runway width is only 30m! Furthermore, there is high terrain to the north-west and inland to the west. No parrallel taxiway - turning nodes at both thresholds and a very very very congested ramp at times!!! The airport has no radar - it depends on Visual sightings with aircraft from the Tower, although they have a RADAR feed from Brisbane that gives a leg-up on situational awareness - and it becomes an unmanned aerodrome by night - with some RPT services continuing to operate. A tonne of GA traffic is thrown in for a bit more of a challenge - but a challenge that is nonetheless met with steadfast procedures and preparation by the local authorities.

 

Now Ipoh in terms of terrain - there's quite a bit of it - but IIRC, it DOES have an ILS - a major plus - albeit for RWY04 only. So why the necessity to upgrade the airport now - perhaps the DCA and MAHB could better spend money in devising workable procedures and dealing with what you have first before spending copious amounts of taxpayer dollars on unnecessary additions to existing infrastructure. Perhaps we could learn a thing or two from how other similar airports cope. Perhaps the state governments should look at expanding only when the airport can handle operations that will generate income to finance it's own expansion - this would be the most cost-effective and efficient way..

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Again, how far is it Ipoh from PEN up north and KLIA down south? The government really intend on building a stretch of airport corridor on the West coast?

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Mayb Airasia want to have full load landing n depart

b3 extension of runway of sibu airport which was 1983M,

airasia nvr land its A320 until the runway bcomes 2745M...

 

BTW, pls make sure there is an agreement of any airline to promise they will operate at thr b4 any expansion!

look at MKZ!

the terminal better move to SIBU airport!

n i wonder y SIBU airport got diff treat than those small airport...

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We have to put the most important thing first.

 

And the most important thing here is THE PROJECT to upgrade the airport. There are profit to be made,money to be spend. Otherwise how to pay for those bungalows and Brabuses? If not enough money, can always increase the tax.

 

Whether the airport will be profitable or not, who cares?

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I only have this to say... What Hell For? <_>

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Well I think LCCs want to be able to do MTOW departures. Remember, the runway must not only be long enough for the plane to reach V1, but the plane should also be able to stop safely in case take off is aborted.

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I believe 2000m is more than enough for A320 and B737 and I have to concurred what Sandeep had said. MCY runway length is 1797m and it receive regular A320 and B738 from SYD and MEL without a problem. Why wanna depart with MTOW? Burn more fuel to carry more fuel or carry more fuel to burn more fuel? :huh:

 

From Wikipedia, A320 has a typical range of 3000nm fully loaded. And from Great Circle Mapper, some route comparison that I can think of:-

 

From To HDG DIR Distance

 

MCY MEL 210° (SW) 784 nm

MCY SYD 192° (S) 451 nm

IPH BKI 84° (E) 899 nm

IPH SIN 137° (SE) 259 nm

IPH BKK 357° (N) 545 nm

IPH KCH 108° (E) 585 nm

 

From Wiki again, take off run for A320 MTOW (77000kg) is 2090m at std atmosphere. Of course, IPH is much hotter thus longer runway needed. Even with just 1/3 fuel and fully pax loaded. IMO A320 is more than capable doing the route I mentioned with some reserve (not accounting other performance factor, just ball park figures). That is 16 tonnes less than the MTOW (so it's do-able on short runway like IPH). And I just read Firefly is upgrading SIN-IPH-SIN from 4x weekly to daily flight starting from 1st September. I hope eventually i will have more options to go home. :)

 

I only have this to say... What Hell For? <_>

I guess this is for some poor soul like me in SIN city who long for some home cook meals and dirt cheap food on every other weekends. ;)

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  • What better time to announce the news right after the cancellation of the planned flights from Changi to Melaka!
  • Yet again, the Perak State Government comes up with the news after like a dozen of failed attempts before. Is it humiliating not to host an airport?
  • Spending MYR 120,000,000.00 is like spending MYR 120 affair to our government, like there are no better avenues to spend the money (please upgrade KL's LRT system FAST!!!).
  • MYR 120,000,000.00 just to accommodate a turboprop operator which promised to bring in and out 70 travellers (each way) a day the most?
  • IPH becomming in its current abandoned state because of its proximity to KUL and PEN. Ipoh is well serve by busses and trains, in fact the new electric trains will start commencing service to Ipoh soon. If there are demand for commercial flights which promised profitability to the operator, wouldn't MH be the first one to return to IPH (since the airline never made a fuss about the airport's short runway for their B734s)?
  • Highly likely, MH will be forced to 'grace' the airport (using stupid excuses like to promote tourism or to bring unity to all Malaysians from different states) after its completion.
  • Surprisingly nobody cares to called up a demo for things of this nature (or anything economics as the matter of fact). I am so the very hairan sekali.
  • I should study the mechanism of approving projects by the government someday. If this project is to be referred to, it seems that there is no mechanism at all.
  • What a heartaching news this is.

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Just did a quick check on Sandakan Airport. Its runway is 2,134m (7,000 ft) long and both MH (B734) and AK (A322) serves that place. So the upgraded Ipoh runway is still about 134m short of that.

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The MAS 734 used to do there. So what is the min take off distance when MTOW for a 734?

 

Did AK ever go there?

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Did AK ever go there?

AK used to go there using B733 but stopped services when they retired the B733 fleet. I am not sure if that is the only reason. Load factors might also play a part in that decision as A322 carries 180 pax compared to 150 on the B733. So if the normal load factor on a B733 is 50%, then AK might have worked out that although it is possible to operate from Ipoh with an A322 on reduced load, it may not be economic.

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Ong said the decision to upgrade the airport showed the commitment on the part of the government which had earlier given approvals to Malaysia and Singapore airlines to operate the Ipoh-Singapore sector.

:blink: Malaysia and Singapore Airlines (aka MSA)?? Thought they ceased to exist since 1972 :p

 

And the most important thing here is THE PROJECT to upgrade the airport. There are profit to be made,money to be spend. Otherwise how to pay for those bungalows and Brabuses? If not enough money, can always increase the tax.

 

Whether the airport will be profitable or not, who cares?

Tick Tick Tick....

 

By the time they are found to be guilty of anything (if they will ever be placed under investigation), they would have retired from their position long ago. The money would have already been well spent by then.

Edited by S V Choong

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Just did a quick check on Sandakan Airport. Its runway is 2,134m (7,000 ft) long and both MH (B734) and AK (A322) serves that place. So the upgraded Ipoh runway is still about 134m short of that.

 

One have to remember that the great circle distance between SDK-KUL (998 NM) is almost twice of IPH-BKK (545 NM) and 4 x IPH-SIN (259 NM). So I don't see why a 2000m runway can't make it.

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Malaysia and Singapore Airlines (aka MSA)?? Thought they ceased to exist since 1972 :p

/quote]

I think what this sentence was meant to convey was "the airlines of both Singapore and Malaysia". Not MSA literally.

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One have to remember that the great circle distance between SDK-KUL (998 NM) is almost twice of IPH-BKK (545 NM) and 4 x IPH-SIN (259 NM). So I don't see why a 2000m runway can't make it.

Somehow, I suspect that if AK resumes services to Ipoh, they will be international sectors to destinations like Macau, Hong Kong or Singapore. IPH-KUL might not come back at all!

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Somehow, I suspect that if AK resumes services to Ipoh, they will be international sectors to destinations like Macau, Hong Kong or Singapore. IPH-KUL might not come back at all!

Agree. IPH-KUL or IPH-SZB could be viable with small commuter airlines but not with a larger jets. Not at this moment, at least.

 

Even when MH was operating IPH-KUL, during he last few years, most of the passengers are transit passengers, at least by looking at their baggage tags.

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hehe.. that airport will cater the rich-ies from IPH :) demand sure high, so we can sell normal priced tix. said that imagining if i were the CEO of airlines of malaysia.

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Agree. IPH-KUL or IPH-SZB could be viable with small commuter airlines but not with a larger jets. Not at this moment, at least.

 

Even when MH was operating IPH-KUL, during he last few years, most of the passengers are transit passengers, at least by looking at their baggage tags.

 

My family and I would use it almost all the time to connect to Intl flights.

My last IPH - KUL was in July 2006. The route was canned not long after during the route rationalisation project.

 

hehe.. that airport will cater the rich-ies from IPH :) demand sure high, so we can sell normal priced tix. said that imagining if i were the CEO of airlines of malaysia.

 

For a short 35 mins flight, MH charged RM100 IIRC.

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