KL to spend US$263.8m on airports

KL to spend US$263.8m on airports

Agence France-Presse, Kuala Lumpur

The government is planning to spend some 1 billion ringgit (US$263.8 million) this year on airport development in East Malaysia, Bernama news agency reported, citing Transport Minister Ling Liong Sik.

"The government is planning to widen the runway for the new Bintulu airport to enable it to handle bigger aircraft ... while the Miri and Sibu airports will also be upgraded to handle," Ling said at the opening the new Labuan Airport Terminal.

He said that the government has earmarked Labuan airport as one of the destinations within the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia- Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

Ling also said that the government is considering placing sky marshalls in aircraft to prevent possible hijacks and ensure the safety of passengers and cabin crew.

"Nowadays, aircraft are hijacked and used as missiles and this is very dangerous," he said, adding that using sky marshals has been enforced in India, with several countries following suit soon.

The government is also looking into the possibility of equipping aircraft cockpits with more security features, Ling added. (AFX ASIA)