SUBANG – another government, another plan.
Not for the first time, Subang Airport will undergo a transformation, with the plan recently approved by the Cabinet but with no dates or timeframe mentioned as yet.
What is known so far is that the regeneration plan hopes to transform the airport that was the country’s top domestic and international airport from August 1965 to later in 1998 into a preferred aerospace and business aviation hub in Asia Pacific.
It will focus on positioning the airport as a city and regional hub, while developing the general/business aviation field and a complete aerospace ecosystem.
The plan includes having an aerospace industry centre; a maintenance, repair and overhaul centre; and regional commercial flight operations.
Subang Airport is now the base for SKS Skyways, Firefly and Batik Air and offers general aviation services and is used by turbo prop domestic and international flights. It now also serves private jets.
There were plans as early as 2004 to have it operating as a low-cost carrier hub, with premier low-cost carrier AirAsia very much in the picture, but this was opposed by nearby residents concerned with the noise factor.
Whatever plan the government has in mind, it must be noted that this will not be the first time the airport will be redeveloped.
First Terminal 1, the international flights terminal, was demolished in 2003, followed by redevelopment of Terminal 3 completed in October 2009 into what is now known as the Subang Skypark the Subang.
How different will the old Subang Airport look like once this latest redevelopment plan is completed? – Feb 6, 2023
Main pic credit: The Edge Markets
