Pangkor Airport will reopen for operation on Tuesday, October 1 with direct flights from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Subang and Sultan Azlan Shah Airport, Ipoh.
The flight, using Twin Otter planes, is managed by SKS Airways Sdn Bhd. The aircraft can take 19 passengers.
For a start, SKS Airways provides daily service of one flight to and from Subang and Pangkor Island and two flights a day between Subang and Sultan Azlan Shah Airport in Ipoh.
Tan Kar Hing, Executive Councillor for Tourism, Arts and Culture said that the flight will enable visitors to reach Pangkor in an hour approximately while the Subang-Ipoh route will take only 15 minutes.
“The runway at the Pangkor Airport is 732m long which is ideal for a Twin Otter plane. If the response is good, the state government welcomes additional flights here,” he told reporters during a working visit to Pangkor Island on Wednesday, May 22.
Headquartered in Johor Bahru, SKS Airways Sdn Bhd has flight hubs in Subang and Langkawi, among others.
Built in 1993, Pangkor Airport was operational till February 2014 before it was used for private planes.
According to Kar Hing, the decision to revive the airport is in tandem with the declaration of Pangkor Island as a tax-free island effective January 1 next year.
“We start the flight operations beforehand so promotional efforts for Pangkor Island can be done earlier. The state government wish to thank Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad and SKS Airways for their cooperation in making the flight service a reality,” he expressed.
He added that facilities at the airport are adequate and safe for use.
“In the coming months, we’ll continue to upgrade the airport so it’ll be ready come October 1,” he reiterated.
