|
The Sarawak state government plans to foster the development of a cargo hub
at Kuching International Airport.
Under the plan Kuching International Airport will have a new cargo complex
as part of the infrastructure upgrading.
“The new cargo building will be built on a six hectares land at the Kuching
International Airport,” said the Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of
Infrastructure and Communications of Sarawak, Datuk Patinggi (Dr) Alfred
Jabu Ak Numpang.
He said the new cargo hub was important to meet the needs of electronics and
electrical engineering, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, knowledge based
industries, flowers and high value fruit and vegetables and aquaculture
(seafood products) which require access to a competitive and reliable
airfreight industry.
According to the Minister said the development of cargo hub would be timely
as the industries are identified as important activities for the economic
development of the state, therefore there is a real need for good airfreight
link.
The Minister noted that Sarawak suffers from not only high airfreight costs
compared to Peninsula Malaysia, but also a low level of service reliability.
“This can be remedied by making Kuching International Airport as the
airfreight distribution hub for Sarawak with all other airports in Sarawak
feedering to/from Kuching International Airport,” he said.
The Minister also said the time sensitive nature of airfreight is well
illustrated in the perishables markets, which Sarawak wishes to exploit.
Given that items like flowers and live shellfish must reach their
destination overnight, this requires a fast and well-orchestrated logistics
system.
Besides Kuching there is a need to look at the cargo space provided at each
airport and airfield, particularly Miri which may remain a local centre in
its own right as the feeder to the rural airfields, said Jabu.
The minister expects cargo loads for all airports to double the current load
of 36,025 tonnes by year 2020.
“In view of that the capacity of the terminal and facilities at these
terminals needs to be upgraded to cater for the extra demand. Besides
Kuching future extension in Sarawak include extension of Mukah Airport Phase
II and Bario Airport and the proposed construction o new airport at Lawas as
the hub for the highlands areas to cater for bigger aircrafts,” he added. |
