PEKAN: After years of uncertainty, the construction of a new airport on Pulau Tioman, Rompin, will finally become a reality.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail said the Cabinet had approved plans for a new airport on the island and construction work would take off soon.
“Works to build an airport in Kampung Tekek is now in the early stages.
“What is important is that the Cabinet and state government have agreed... the land has been identified and only the cost is yet to be finalised.
“The project will be done by a private firm with cooperation from the state government,” Wan Rosdy told a press conference after opening the state-level World Town Planning Day and International Day of Forests at Pantai Air Leleh, near here, today.
Over the years, there have been proposals to either upgrade the existing airport in Kampung Tekek or build a new airport on the island, but nothing materialised due to environmental concerns.
In 2003, the Federal Government had planned to build a RM120 million airport in Kampung Paya on the island, which would feature a 2,000m-long and 45m-wide runway on the sea, able to accommodate Boeing 737 aircraft.
However, then Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat cancelled the construction in 2009 saying the decision was made after considering various factors, especially the environmental impact.
In 2014, the Federal Government said it was mulling realigning the airport’s existing airstrip to accommodate the Aerei da Trasporto Regionale (ATR) turboprop aircraft, but the project also never took off.
The proposal was to lengthen the 992m air strip in Kampung Tekek to 1,200m to accommodate the 72-seater ATR aircraft as the airstrip only catered to Berjaya Air’s 48-seater DeHavilland Dash 7 aircraft.
Since Berjaya Air ceased its services several years ago, only chartered 12-seater single-engine flights are available.
In June, last year, Berjaya Group founder and executive chairman Tan Sri Vincent Tan announced plans to build an airport on the island to improve connectivity and boost tourism in Tioman.
It was reported that the construction of the airport would cost RM1.2 billion and would be financed from the group’s internal fund and borrowings.