Kelantan proposes new airport in Machang
He said Machang was chosen as the site because it was a strategic area.
The Kelantan government has proposed to the federal government the construction of a new airport of international standard at Bagan Estet, Machang, said chairman of the State Infrastructure, Utility and Information Technology Committee, Datuk Hanifa Ahmad.
He said Machang was chosen as the site because it was a strategic area located in the middle of Kelantan, besides being close to Pasir Puteh which has the Tok Bali Supply Base.
"Upgrading the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport (LTSIP) is impossible because according to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), an area of 800 up to 1,200 hectares of land is needed to build an international airport.
"If the LTSIP is to be upgraded into an international airport, there will be difficulty because it involves the acquisition of land including the 21st Royal Malay Regiment (RAMD) camp and Taman Bendahara," he said at the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly sitting at Kompleks Kota Darul Naim, here today.
He said this when replying to a supplementary question from Ahmad Fathan Mahmood@Mahamad who asked whether the new LTSIP would become an international airport.
Earlier, Ahmad Fathan had asked on the latest status on the LTSIP expansion project in Pengkalan Chepa, here. -- Bernama
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