View Full Version : IpohAirport:TheImpossibleDreams
jpatokal
18-12-06, 01:13 PM
One of Malaysia's more useless airports gets a lease on life. From Bernama (http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=236881):
LUMUT, Dec 16 (Bernama) -- The government has approved the runway extension project at the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport (LTAS) in Ipoh to accomodate large aircrafts deployed in international services, said Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali.
He said that Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy also had informed him that the airport could be used for international flights to any destination except Singapore.
"With the go ahead, we plan to extend the airport runway by another 500 metres making it 1,981 metres to accomodate the Airbus 320 aeroplane and not 2,200 metres as initally planned as it would involve more land acquisition," he said when opening the IMPSA Sdn Bhd's metal fabrication factory here.
Tajol said the airport runway project has also been scaled down to RM40 million from the earlier estimate of RM150 million that included the longer runway and expansion of the airport terminal.
LTAS currently operates the Ipoh-Medan service after the Ipoh-KLIA service by MAS and the Ipoh-Senai service by Air Asia were stopped recently.
Note that the airport currently operates one (1) flight daily, and they originally planned to expand the terminal -- at least that has now been scrapped. Air Asia terminated their flights because the A320 couldn't land safely on the short runway, it remains to be seen if they'll restart.
Ipoh will also get a fast(er) rail link to KL when the double-tracking is completed (2008?), which may not do the airport any favors...
Was it Thunderbirds where they wore something suspiciously like a Malay songkok? Ipoh could be even more the underburdened airport when its high-speed trains get to go later this year: :D
http://fabgearusa.com/cgi-bin/image/templates/ECPScott14b.jpg
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=259412
April 29, 2007 16:10 PM
Ipoh Airport Proposed As Launching Ground For Space Tourism
By Ahmad Shukran Shaharuddin
SEREMBAN, April 29 (Bernama) -- A group of space tourism consultants have proposed to the Perak government to turn the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport (LTSAS) in Ipoh into a "space-bound airport".
Space Future Consulting director Dr Patrick Collins said the proposal was submitted in 1999.
For the plan to become a reality, however, it should start as a ground for test flights.
He said the LTSAS was chosen for the project because of its low airline traffic unlike the KL International Airport in Sepang.
It was also strategically located at the centre of Peninsular Malaysia and supported by a good transportation network, said Dr Collins who was a lecturer with Azabu University's Environmental Policy Department in Japan.
"Although it sounds very ambitious but it can happen. For example 20 years back, not many of us used handphones but it's considered something normal nowadays," he told Bernama here.
He said the initial cost was estimated at RM100 million and this included the plan to conduct 100 test flights using a spacecraft called the Ascender which could carry space tourists, astronauts and facilitate scientific experiments at 100km from earth.
The suborbital spaceplane, developed by Bristol Spaceplanes Limited of Britain, can take off and land horizontally and also climb vertically.
Dr Collins said Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali had on Nov 2004 announced that the state government had allowed the LTSAS to be developed into a port for space tourism.
"This initiative could be undertaken on a joint-venture effort involving a local company. We have also approached the Civil Aviation Department twice on the proposal as we need the licence from them to operate," he said.
He said the government should look into the project seriously, and he was informed that the proposal had been submitted to the Science, Technology and Innovations Ministry.
"Even if the test flight could take years but we must start from here. It is a good opportunity for Malaysia. This is a new field that would create a new market niche for tourism and new jobs," Dr Collins said.
After the tests, the initial flight would be a suborbital journey to space and later, an orbital journey, he said.
"We have made a study and survey that one suborbital journey would cost around RM10,000 to RM20,000 per person, and we consider it as affordable," he said.
The aviation and space industries in Europe were considering to set up hotels and provide accommodation for tourists a night or two in space, he said.
-- BERNAMA
http://www.bernama.com.my/
Ipoh Airport Proposed As Launching Ground For Space Tourism
By Ahmad Shukran ShaharuddinFunny..... I think shukran means "airplane" in Arabic. That's what I heard numerous times in cabin announcements on my flights with Emirates. Well... fits the context, doesn't it.
June 29, 2007 18:46 PM
Abdullah Announces Two Projects To Spur Kinta Valley Development
IPOH, June 29 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced today that the government will upgrade the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport here and establish a commuter train service between Ipoh and Penang. http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?p=15531#post15531
The prime minister said the two projects would spur development in the Kinta Valley.
"We'll extend the runway. We need to have a better airport," he told reporters after attending a luncheon with state government and Barisan Nasional leaders, department heads and Umno veterans at a hotel here before concluding his one-day visit to Perak.
Abdullah said the airport would be expanded and eventually used by Malaysia Airlines' low-fare subsidiary, Firefly.
However, he did not say when the projects would start.
The state government and several groups, especially those representing Perak tourism and manufacturing sectors, have been clamouring for the airport to be upgraded to enable it to accommodate bigger aircraft.
The Transport Ministry has previously suggested that the airport be used as a hub for low-cost carriers for the northern region and Asia.
The Perak government has also indicated its willingness to fork out RM40 million to upgrade the airport if there were guarantees that the facility would be used for domestic and international flights.
..........
-- BERNAMA
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=270420
June 30, 2007 20:52 PM
Perak MB Hopes Local Airlines Use LTSAS
IPOH, 30 Jun (Bernama) -- Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali, pleased with the announcement on the proposed extension of the landing strip at the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport (LTSAS), hopes that this would prompt airlines in the country to include Ipoh in their flight routes.
He said the Malaysia Airlines (MAS), Firefly and AirAsia should take the announcement seriously by planning to have flights to LTSAS.
"They should not only think of making quick profits but also as a social project for the people in Perak," he added.
He was reacting to an announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday that the government would expand the LTSAS airport and also provide commuter train service between Ipoh and Penang to spur development in the Kinta Valley.
"The Prime Minister sympathises with us (Perak) more and understands the plight of the people in the state who do not enjoy flight services when MAS and AirAsia ceased their operations at LTSAS," Tajol Rosli told reporters after opening the Perak Agricultural Market Carnival at Tambun here.
Currently, he said the LTSAS was used only by two Indonesian airlines, Merpati and Jentayu, for flights to Medan.
He said the expansion of the LTSAS, which would include extension of the landing strip, was expected to cost RM40 million.
Tajol Rosli also suggested that airlines intending to operate at LTSAS to have daily morning and evening flights between Ipoh and KL International Airport and Subang.
He also hoped that Firefly, which is expected to widen its operations with the purchase of 20 turboprop ATR aircraft from Italy to make LTSAS as one of its major destinations.
-- BERNAMA
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/state_news/news.php?id=270582&cat=nt
jpatokal
01-07-07, 07:00 PM
Funny..... I think shukran means "airplane" in Arabic. That's what I heard numerous times in cabin announcements on my flights with Emirates. Well... fits the context, doesn't it.
Actually it means "thank you" :p
MB: Money for extending Ipoh runway may not be used if airport is under used
PENGKALAN HULU (Perak): The state government may not use the RM40mil allocation from the Federal Government to extend the runway of the Sultan Azlan Airport in Ipoh if the airport remains underused.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohd Tajol Rosli Ghazali said there was no point in spending the allocation, which was approved by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi during his visit to Ipoh last Friday.
“The extension of the runway should be reciprocated with flights by AirAsia and Firefly to and from the airport.
“There is no meaning (for the runway extension) if there are no flights by Firefly or AirAsia,” he said.
“If the airport is under-utilised, it would be better to use the allocation for other purposes as this is the people’s money,” he said at the ground-breaking ceremony for Northgate, a new growth centre located at the Perak- Thailand border near here on Monday.
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/7/2/business/20070702184915&sec=business
July 14, 2007 17:31 PM
Govt Approves Firefly's Flights From Subang To Ipoh
IPOH, July 14 (Bernama) -- The government has approved the application of Firefly, a wholly owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines (MAS), to service the Senai-Ipoh and Subang-Ipoh air routes.
Announcing this today, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said that Firefly will be using turbo prop aircraft which was suitable for the short flights ranging from two to two-and-half hours.
"Firefly is currently using the Fokker aircraft which made Penang a hub but it is acquiring ATR 72 from Italy and we are confident that with the aircraft, Firefly will be able to have more flights between Ipoh and Subang and Ipoh and Senai.
"The ministry hopes that Firefly will start operations as soon as they take delivery of the first batch of the aircraft," he told reporters after the launch of the International Skydive Visit Malaysia Year 2007 here today.
Firefly is expected to take receipt of the first batch of ATR 72 in September next year.
In June, MAS and ATR (Avion de Transport Regional) signed the agreement in Rome, Italy for the purchase of 20 ATR turbo prop 72-500s.
The contract worth US$360 million was for the purchase of each aircraft at US$18.3 million per unit.
Firefly flies twice a week from Penang to Langkawi, Kota Baharu, Kuala Terengganu, Kuantan, Phuket and Koh Samui. It started the domestic operations on April 3, and its international operations 10 days later using two Fokker Friendship aircraft.
In June, the government allowed Firefly to operate from the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport as its second hub after Penang. It was to facilitate flights from the airport to all its domestic destinations and also to Indonesia and Thailand.
On the project to expand the runway at the Sultan Azlan Shah airport here, Chan said a meeting will be held next week involving representatives from his ministry and the Ministry of Finance, the Economic Planning Unit, Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd and the Perak State Government to come up with the working paper on the upgrading of the airport.
A proposal will be made to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi once the working paper is ready.
The proposal will cover not only the runway expansion but also other facilities such as the terminal and the Department of Civil Aviation tower building.
The state government and various parties especially from the tourism industry of Perak had in the past called for the upgrading of the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in order to facilitate the landing of larger aircraft. The transport ministry had also previously proposed making the airport a Low Cost Carrier hub in the northern region of the peninsular.
The state government meanwhile has expressed its readiness to spend RM40 million on the airport on the guarantee that flights both domestic and international will be operated from the airport.
-- BERNAMA
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news_business.php?id=273208
Northern Region News
October 17, 2007 20:20 PM
Perak Likely To Have World's First Humanitarian Service Airport
IPOH, Oct 17 (Bernama) -- Plans are afoot to build what is touted to be the world's first airport dedicated to providing humanitarian services in Bandar Seri Iskandar, about 40km from here, which is expected to cost RM1 billion.
To be developed by Casa Pasifik Sdn Bhd, the airport will take three years and two months to complete.
Casa Pasifik chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Hilmi Ismail said the facility would serve as a medical training centre, aviation academy and a transit hub for global relief operations. It will also promote health tourism as well as research and development activities.
"We've chosen Bandar Seri Iskandar due to its strategic location, the amount of available land. It also fulfils security requirements. In fact, some parties have asked that the airport be built in their countries," he told reporters here today.
Disaster and war victims from across the globe may also be flown to the airport for medical treatment, he said.
Mohd Hilmi said the company had applied to the Perak state government for 800ha of land to build a 3,760m-long runway to accommodate Boeing 747 aircraft and other related projects.
According to him, Perak State Development Corporation and Casa Pasifik inked a memorandum of understanding on March 20 to signal their commitment for the project.
Mohd Hilmi also said the Civil Aviation Department gave its green light for the project in July.
Casa Pasifik, he said, had secured funding for the airport project and was now awaiting final approval from the Transport Ministry and other relevant authorities.
-- BERNAMA
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
jpatokal
19-10-07, 12:08 PM
The saga of Ipoh Airport just keeps on getting weirder and weirder... to recap, the present Sultan Azlan Shah (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Azlan_Shah_Airport) airport presently has (AFAIK) a grand total of three (3) flights per week, all to Medan across the Straits in Sumatra. Located under 200km from KL, Ipoh will soon have fast intercity trains from KL and even MAS has stopped flying its shuttle flights to KLIA. Yet there's been a continuous barrage of increasingly nonsensical proposals (http://angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=2372) to refit the runway for jumbos, expand the terminal and even turn it into a spaceport. Fortunately none of them seem to be going anywhere, but I can only wonder who is driving all this crap? :confused:
http://fabgearusa.com/cgi-bin/image/templates/ECPScott14b.jpg
I wasn't sure this report referred to Ipoh Airport or not. Although, I had an idea that it might come from the same fevered local brow. In that case, even more reason to wear the 'International Rescue' Songkok.
I've lost the link, but it's noticable that Ipoh also failed to make the Firefly 'hub' status too. Three other 'hubs' are on the books in addition to Penang. Two of them were Johore Bahru and Kota Kinabalu if my memory serves me right.
jpatokal
22-10-07, 12:22 PM
I've lost the link, but it's noticable that Ipoh also failed to make the Firefly 'hub' status too. Three other 'hubs' are on the books in addition to Penang. Two of them were Johore Bahru and Kota Kinabalu if my memory serves me right.
AFAIK Firefly's not expanding anywhere until they start getting their new ATRs sometime in late 2008, so any talk of hubs is premature. Using Ipoh as one would certainly be pretty nonsensical...
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