KUANTAN: The federal government's decision to scrap plans for a new airport on Pulau Tioman has prompted the Pahang government to study a proposal to lengthen the existing air strip in Kampung Tekek on the island.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail (BN-Jelai) said the plan to extend the runway, with an additional 500m, will help to accommodate larger-sized aircraft on the island.
"The proposed new airport in Tioman received objections following feedback from the public. As an alternative, there are plans to lengthen the runway and we have already identified the area earmarked for land acquisition.
"As a concerned government, we will not carry out projects that will result in losses to the people so the government has decided not to go ahead with the new airport project," he said when replying to a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Mohd Johari Hussain(BN-Tioman) at the Pahang state assembly sitting at Wisma Sri Pahang here today.
Johari had earlier sought clarification if the Pahang government had plans to lengthen the 800m air strip in Kampung Tekek to 1.5km to accommodate aircraft that can transport more than 15 people following the decision to cancel the airport project.
He said the airstrip had previously catered for smaller aircrafts from Berjaya Air, Pelangi Airways, SKS Airways and several other private companies.
Meanwhile, Pahang's state assembly opposition leader Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (Pas-Cheka) lauded the state government's decision not to proceed with the plans for the new airport.
"My masters research was about Pulau Tioman and the reclamation area in Kampung Paya is known to be extremely crucial for marine life. The coral reefs in the areas are among the main attractions for visitors around the world and if the new airport is built it will damage the marine life which will see a drop in tourists," he said.
Plans to lengthen the runway were proposed in 2014 to accommodate the 72-seater Aerei da Trasporto Regionale (ATR) turboprop aircraft but nothing materialised.
In 2019, Wan Rosdy announced the Cabinet had approved plans for a new airport on the island.
Last month, Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the Cabinet decided to not proceed with the new airport after considering conservation of its natural resources.