Kuching International Airport (Kuching International Airport)
Kuching International Airport (Initialised: KIA) is an international airport serving the entire southwestern region of Sarawak, Malaysia. It is located 11 km south of Kuching city centre. The airport is colocated with the RMAF Kuching, home to the No. 7 Squadron RMAF.
The airport terminal is capable of handling five million passengers per annum and it is the fourth busiest airport in Malaysia. KIA has grown rapidly with an increasing number of passengers and aircraft movement. In 2017, KIA handled 5,095,193 passengers with a corresponding volume of 51,097 flights. In the same year, 24,620 metric tonnes of cargo were handled through this facility.
KIA is the secondary hub for Malaysia Airlines and has been growing rapidly to tackle the demand of the travellers in the Sarawak region.
An airstrip in Kuching was first constructed at 7th Mile (Bukit Stabar) in 1938, measuring 700 yd long by 300 yd wide. An airport terminal building was later completed and opened for use on 26 September 1950. The airport consisted of a small "L" shaped single storey passenger terminal, a small cargo facility, and an airport fire station. Air Traffic Control Tower, Meteorological Service and Maintenance building were clustered in one area, a small apron of 4 parking bays and a single runway which was 1,372 metres long and 46 metres wide. Navigational (Directional Finding Equipment) and Radio Aids were installed at the airport.
Kuching International Airport then became the gateway to Sarawak, Brunei and North Borneo (Sabah as it is called today) with the introduction of once weekly Douglas Dakota twin-engined piston aircraft services originating from Singapore by Malayan Airways. By the end of 1954, scheduled air services into Kuching International Airport grew by leaps and bounds. This was depicted in the 1954 statistics which recorded 1,550 aircraft movements, 13,564 passengers, 95,911 kilogrammes of cargo and 25,984 mails. In 1959, the runway was extended to 1,555 metres in length to make way for Vickers Viscount turboprop aircraft operations.
In 1962, the runway was extended once more to a length of 1,921 meters to facilitate DeHavilland Comet-4 turbojet aircraft operations. The terminal was also enlarged in the same year. A Control Zone was established at Kuching in November as a part of a plan to provide an Air Traffic Control Service commensurate with the growth of air traffic. Malayan Airways Limited operated the Singapore / British Borneo Territories Regional Services with Vickers Viscount and Douglas DC-3 aircraft, daily schedules linked Kuching and Sibu with Singapore on the other side; and connection via Borneo Airways to Brunei and Borneo on the other. In 1971, the Malaysian Government (as Sarawak joined the Federation of Malaysia on 16 November 1963) engaged a team of Canadian Consultants to make a Master Plan study of Kuching International Airport.
In December 1972, the government accepted the Consultant's report. Among the recommendations were:
* The extension and strengthening of existing runway to enable operations by larger jet-powered aircraft
* The construction of a new terminal building on the north site of the runway
Work on the strengthening and extension of the runway to 2454 m in length started in 1973 and was completed in 1976, capable of handling Boeing 707 turbofan aircraft.
The airport terminal is capable of handling five million passengers per annum and it is the fourth busiest airport in Malaysia. KIA has grown rapidly with an increasing number of passengers and aircraft movement. In 2017, KIA handled 5,095,193 passengers with a corresponding volume of 51,097 flights. In the same year, 24,620 metric tonnes of cargo were handled through this facility.
KIA is the secondary hub for Malaysia Airlines and has been growing rapidly to tackle the demand of the travellers in the Sarawak region.
An airstrip in Kuching was first constructed at 7th Mile (Bukit Stabar) in 1938, measuring 700 yd long by 300 yd wide. An airport terminal building was later completed and opened for use on 26 September 1950. The airport consisted of a small "L" shaped single storey passenger terminal, a small cargo facility, and an airport fire station. Air Traffic Control Tower, Meteorological Service and Maintenance building were clustered in one area, a small apron of 4 parking bays and a single runway which was 1,372 metres long and 46 metres wide. Navigational (Directional Finding Equipment) and Radio Aids were installed at the airport.
Kuching International Airport then became the gateway to Sarawak, Brunei and North Borneo (Sabah as it is called today) with the introduction of once weekly Douglas Dakota twin-engined piston aircraft services originating from Singapore by Malayan Airways. By the end of 1954, scheduled air services into Kuching International Airport grew by leaps and bounds. This was depicted in the 1954 statistics which recorded 1,550 aircraft movements, 13,564 passengers, 95,911 kilogrammes of cargo and 25,984 mails. In 1959, the runway was extended to 1,555 metres in length to make way for Vickers Viscount turboprop aircraft operations.
In 1962, the runway was extended once more to a length of 1,921 meters to facilitate DeHavilland Comet-4 turbojet aircraft operations. The terminal was also enlarged in the same year. A Control Zone was established at Kuching in November as a part of a plan to provide an Air Traffic Control Service commensurate with the growth of air traffic. Malayan Airways Limited operated the Singapore / British Borneo Territories Regional Services with Vickers Viscount and Douglas DC-3 aircraft, daily schedules linked Kuching and Sibu with Singapore on the other side; and connection via Borneo Airways to Brunei and Borneo on the other. In 1971, the Malaysian Government (as Sarawak joined the Federation of Malaysia on 16 November 1963) engaged a team of Canadian Consultants to make a Master Plan study of Kuching International Airport.
In December 1972, the government accepted the Consultant's report. Among the recommendations were:
* The extension and strengthening of existing runway to enable operations by larger jet-powered aircraft
* The construction of a new terminal building on the north site of the runway
Work on the strengthening and extension of the runway to 2454 m in length started in 1973 and was completed in 1976, capable of handling Boeing 707 turbofan aircraft.
| IATA Code | KCH | ICAO Code | WBGG | FAA Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telephone | Fax | ||||
| Home page |
Map - Kuching International Airport (Kuching International Airport)
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Country - Malaysia
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| Flag of Malaysia | |
Malaysia has its origins in the Malay kingdoms, which, from the 18th century on, became subject to the British Empire, along with the British Straits Settlements protectorate. Peninsular Malaysia was unified as the Malayan Union in 1946. Malaya was restructured as the Federation of Malaya in 1948 and achieved independence on 31 August 1957. The independent Malaya united with the then British crown colonies of North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore on 16 September 1963 to become Malaysia. In August 1965, Singapore was expelled from the federation and became a separate independent country.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| MYR | Malaysian ringgit | RM | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| ZH | Chinese language |
| EN | English language |
| MS | Malay language |
| ML | Malayalam language |
| PA | Panjabi language |
| TA | Tamil language |
| TE | Telugu language |
| TH | Thai language |