KUANTAN: The Tioman Airport runway extension project, announced under Budget 2024, has been shelved after failing to comply with aviation safety standards. Pahang Unity, Tourism and Culture Committee chairman Leong Yu Man said a technical assessment of the proposed runway realignment by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) found that it did not meet required aviation safety standards. "The assessment considered aspects involving air navigation services, aerodrome standards and flight operations, and found significant constraints arising from natural obstacles surrounding the airport, including hilly terrain and elevated landforms.
"The proposed runway realignment does not resolve the core issues related to flight safety on the island. CAAM has recommended that the proposal be comprehensively reviewed to ensure any runway extension complies with safety standards," she said during the question-and-answer session at the state assembly sitting today. She was responding to a question from Datuk Seri Mohd Johari Hussain (BN-Pulau Tioman), who asked whether the state government could attract flight operators from Kuala Lumpur, Kuantan or Singapore to Tioman.
Leong said that despite the technical setbacks, the Pahang government would explore other alternatives to improve accessibility to the duty-free island. "All related agencies will evaluate various options, including the feasibility of an air transport model to the island," she said. Yesterday, Johari raised concerns over reports that the long-anticipated Tioman Airport runway extension project — from 850m to 1.3km — would not materialise as planned.
Source : NST
