KUALA LUMPUR: The cabinet has given the green light for the Subang Airport Regeneration Plan (SARP), said Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook.
The plan will transform the airport, formally known as the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (LTSAAS), into the preferred aerospace and business aviation hub.
He said the regeneration plan will focus on positioning LTSAAS as a city and regional airport while developing the General Aviation/Business Aviation (GA/BA) field and a complete Aerospace Ecosystem.
"I presented the SARP to the cabinet on Feb 2, 2023, and the proposal was approved after much deliberation.
"There are seven components involved: aerospace industry centre, a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Centre, research and development centre, general aviation operations, business aviation operations, urban air mobility (UAM) and regional commercial flight operations," he told a press conference today.
Loke added that through SARP, LTSAAS will morph into a regional aviation hub with a maximum capacity of 8 million annual passengers.
"The growth and evolvement of LTSAAS will create thousands of high-value jobs for Malaysians.
"In addition, this will give the supply chain in the aerospace industry and air transport a strong boost in line with the government's aspiration to make Malaysia the leader in the aerospace industry in Southeast Asia by 2030.
"Scheduled commercial passenger flights and belly cargo flights will be introduced by utilising narrow-body jets up to the size of A320/B737 or equivalent aircraft."
He said that this plan aims at the premium and business passenger market segment by taking full advantage of the strategic location of LTSAAS at the heart of Greater Kuala Lumpur.
"The next step is for MAHB to conclude its detailed redevelopment plan including engagement with stakeholders and industry players openly and constructively
"The estimated final cost of the LTSAAS redevelopment will be announced after the detailed redevelopment plan is completed in the future.
"In terms of policy direction (for SARP), this has been brought up, it is now up to MAHB to draw up their system (business plan).
"Once the business plan is finalised, it will be re-tabled to the cabinet by the end of this quarter," he said.
A temporary suspension will be placed on train service between Skypark and KL Sentral on Feb 15 due to the low passenger volume of fewer than 100 passengers per day, he said.
"Once the airport gains more traffic, we will restart the train service together with the redevelopment."
He said the redevelopment of LTSAAS is a national project of revival in line with the principles of Malaysia Madani.
He added SARP can accelerate post-pandemic economic recovery by attracting job-creating domestic and foreign investments.
"From a social perspective, this meaningful project breathes life into an airport where many Malaysians share precious collective memory.
"Finally, ecologically sensitive design and green infrastructure must be integrated comprehensively into this future-oriented redevelopment project for a more sustainable future," he said.