Kuching International Airport

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Kuching International Airport Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuching

IATA: KCH - ICAO: WBGG
Summary
Airport type		Public
Operator		Malaysian Airports Holdings Berhad
Serves		Kuching
Elevation AMSL		89 ft (27 m)
Coordinates		01°29′04″N, 110°20′48″E
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
Direction	ft	m	Surface
07/25	8,051	2,454	Asphalt

Kuching International Airport (IATA: KCH, ICAO: WBGG) (KIA) (Malay: Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuching) (华语：古晋国际机场) (Japanese: クチン国際空港) is Sarawak's main international airport and is situated 22 mi (15 km) from the city of Kuching. The airport is also an airbase for the Royal Malaysian Air Force and the newly built terminal is able to handle 5 millions passengers per annum. KIA has grown rapidly with an increasing number of passengers and aircraft movement. In 2005, KIA handled 3.35 million passengers with a corresponding volume of 39,430 flights. In the same year, 28,406 metric tonnes of cargo were handled.

1 Airlines
2 Cargo Airlines
3 Previous Users
4 Incidents and accidents
5 Current Events
6 External links

[edit] Airlines

AirAsia (Bintulu, Johor Bharu, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Miri, Sibu)
FlyAsianXpress (Mukah)
Batavia Air (Jakarta, Pontianak)
Hornbill Skyways (Regional)
Malaysia Airlines (Bintulu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Miri, Sibu, Singapore)
Singapore Airlines
- Silk Air (Singapore)
Xiamen Airlines (seasonal)- charter

[edit] Cargo Airlines

DHL (Cargo)
Transmile Air Services (Cargo)

[edit] Previous Users

Royal Brunei Airlines - suspended due to financial crisis
Singapore Airlines - service to Singapore restored by Silk Air
Dragonair
Merpati Nusantara Airlines

[edit] Incidents and accidents

In 1999, a De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou on a routine training mission crashed at the swampy area at the end of the runway. Five RMAF personnel were killed.
In 2006, a Malaysia Airlines Airbus A330 slipped off the runway while taxiing for take off. There were no fatalities or injuries. All flights into and out of Kuching had to be diverted, delayed or cancelled.

[edit] Current Events

The airport underwent an upgrade that was due for completion in 2007/2008. However, the renovation works on the terminal building were completed 15 months ahead of schedule and the renovated airport was officially opened by the Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Monday, 17th of April 2006.
Air Asia is eyeing more international flights from KIA. Some of the routes to be served from KIA include Jakarta, Bangkok and Perth.
The Chief Minister of Sarawak, Taib Mahmud, wishes to attract more foreign airlines to KIA so as to develop the Sarawak Tourism Industry. Singapore's budget airline, has been given the green light to serve KIA.