New airport in Tanjung Embang a strategic reset for Sarawak’s aviation future, says expert

KUCHING (Jan 29): The Asia Pacific Aerospace Conference and Exhibition (Apace) 2026 concluded with another in-depth session on Sarawak’s proposed new international airport, featuring Head of Aviation at the Sarawak Transport Ministry, Dayang Nurhayati Abang Ahmad.

Speaking during the “Fireside Chat: Future Sarawak Airport” session, Dayang Nurhayati said the proposed New Kuching International Airport at Tanjung Embang represents more than an expansion of existing facilities, describing it as a strategic reset for the state’s aviation future.

She said the current Kuching International Airport is nearing its operational limits in terms of passenger handling, cargo services, apron availability and runway capacity.

“Congestion is gradually eroding service quality, airline confidence and long-term competitiveness,” she said.

She explained that the new airport is being designed as a future-ready hub, featuring scalable passenger terminals, a dedicated cargo village, expanded apron and runway capacity, as well as modern logistics infrastructure.

“It will relieve pressure on the existing airport by unlocking new slots, enabling larger aircraft operations, and supporting high-volume cargo movement — all without compromising safety, punctuality or reliability,” she added.

Dayang Nurhayati said Tanjung Embang was selected following extensive studies to ensure that all arrival and departure procedures remain fully within Malaysian sovereign airspace, providing greater flexibility and long-term resilience as air traffic density increases.

“Airspace is like a highway in the sky. Tanjung Embang allows us to design a new, unconstrained ‘airspace highway’ with no future limitations,” she said.

Strategically located near the coastline, she added that the airport is intended to evolve into a regional transit and logistics hub rather than remain a purely origin-destination facility.

On its economic impact, Dayang Nurhayati described the project as a national and state “X-factor” that would reshape Sarawak’s investment proposition while anchoring an ecosystem capable of attracting high-value, high-productivity industries dependent on speed, connectivity and certainty.

Addressing reports citing an investment value of RM100 billion, she stressed that the figure extends beyond the airport itself, encompassing supporting infrastructure such as deep seaports, low-carbon hubs and integrated urban connectivity.

She added that the new airport will be developed with sustainability, digitalisation and resilience at its core, incorporating lessons from leading global airports and emerging technologies such as digital twin systems, low-carbon energy solutions and seamless multimodal links, including the Kuching Urban Transit System (KUTS).

“We are building later than others, which gives us the advantage of choosing the best available technologies,” she said, adding that ongoing studies are expected to be completed as early as this year, paving the way for the project’s next phase.