KUANTAN: A modern international airport will be built as part of the RM10.5 billion Pahang aerospace city project in Gebeng near here, which will begin works next year.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail said the high-impact project led by Pahang Corporation Sdn Bhd (PahangCorp) on an area measuring 5,042ha is expected to be fully operational in 2026.
"The existing airport (Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Airport) will be moved to the new location to support the Third National Physical Plan, where the project site will serve as an integrated national transit (air, land and sea) city in Gebeng.
"Besides the new airport, the aerospace town will offer a hub for aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services with international standards. The town will have an aviation-related industrial site focusing on building aircraft and its components to attract global firms related with the aviation industry," he said in a statement today.
Wan Rosdy earlier witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Perbadanan Setiausaha Kerajaan Pahang representing the state government and PahangCorp at Wisma Sri Pahang here today.
Pahang state secretary Datuk Seri Dr Sallehuddin Ishak represented the Pahang government while PahangCorp was represented by its chief executive officer Mohd Khusain Harumaini.
Meanwhile, Wan Rosdy said the construction of the aerospace city also took into account other economic factors including its location near the Gebeng industrial plant, Kuantan Port and East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), besides serving as the main gateway to the states in the East Coast.
He said the project, implemented through the Private Finance Initiative involving state government-linked companies (GLC) PahangCorp, will create about 50,000 job opportunities in both the aviation related and non-aviation sector.
"The MRO market value in the Asia Pacific region is estimated around RM15 trillion in the next 20 years. Once operational, Pahang is expected to gain one percent or RM150 billion for 20 years or RM7.5 billion a year from the market value of the Asia Pacific's MRO.
"I hope plans to establish the Pahang aerospace city will turn the state into the top choice among investors in the country especially with a variety of services," he said.