Malaysia's new airport opens

Wed, 01 Jul 1998 | Source: AP

SEPANG, Malaysia (AP): The first flight from Malaysia's new US$2.5 billion airport carried Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad up into clear skies yesterday, but teething troubles angered hundreds of ordinary passengers.

Mahathir flew to the northern resort town of Langkawi on Malaysia Airlines MH 1432 along with his wife, Siti Hasmah Mohd. Ali, and the airlines's executive chairman, Tajudin Ramli.

An MAS Airbus 330 from the Indian Ocean island of the Maldives was the first international flight to land at the airport, which Malaysia claims is the world's largest.

The airport, about 65 kilometers south of downtown Kuala Lumpur, was unveiled Saturday amid a dazzling laser display and fireworks. Its sleek new architecture and modern equipment are designed to put the Southeast Asian nation on the map in the new millennium.

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