JOHOR BARU: Seven new departure gates at the Senai International Airport, due to be completed next month, are set to accommodate over a million more additional visitors to the state.
The airport, known as the Sultan Ismail International Airport, receives over four million visitors annually, and the expansion is due to a foreseen increase in passengers' foot traffic.
Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi's modernisation project at the airport, including its additional departure gates, is part of ongoing efforts to improve facilities and increase visitors' capacity.
Onn Hafiz said Johor will receive over a million more passengers via the airport. Thus, the need for upgrade and modernisation projects aligns with his Johor Maju manifesto.
The menteri besar wants Johor to be recognised as the first developed state in the country by 2030 and is working effortlessly towards the objective.
He said the more public facilities and amenities in the state are rapidly undergoing upgrading works, including hospitals, roads, transportation systems, tourism destinations and most importantly, public services, among others.
The upgrading works at the Johor Zoo is underway, while additional parking-bays will be built at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital..
"I am also working on reviving abandoned buildings, such as Lot 1, JB Waterfront, among others."
Senai township, which is a vital link connecting the state capital city and Kulai township, will also undergo a facelift.
Onn Hafiz, who is boarding public buses to districts in the states, said it was a good way to witness first-hand day-to-day issues faced by the rakyat, and gives him a better insight.
He also said further upgrading projects, including Senai Airport, would be implemented as required, with phase two planned.
He said all municipal councils, mayors, district officers and agencies have been further briefed to improve public facilities and amenities in their districts.
Among the projects in Senai township that will be completed by early next year are infrastructure, refurbishment, and landscape enhancements.
Senai township will include a linear park, brightened with street lights and better illumination.
The existing buildings will be given a fresh paint coat, murals will be repaired and cleaned, and old signboards will be removed.
Pedestrian bridges, parking facilities, improved drainage systems, and LED screens will also be added.