MIRI (Oct 1): The Miri Airport terminal upgrading project is expected to take off next year, with the consultant now finalising the design and concept as the study and stakeholder engagement exercise nears completion.

The proposed design includes split-level operations for arrivals and departures, a smart e-hailing management system, and a new parking zone with up to 2,000 bays, should the proposed multi-storey car park be approved. Other enhanced facilities are also part of the plan.

These updates were presented to Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin during a briefing at Miri Airport, attended by Malaysia Airports Sdn Bhd chief operations officer Kamaruzzaman Razali, Miri Airport manager Mohd Jauhari Abdullah, the appointed consultant, representatives from the Public Works Department (JKR), and officers from the Ministry of Transport Sarawak.

The consultant, appointed in April this year, is in the final stage of completing the study on the work scope and concept for the major upgrading project, carried out in collaboration with both the state and federal transport ministries and relevant stakeholders.

Under the proposed concept, the arrival curbsides will be located on the ground floor and departures on the first floor—a move aimed at easing traffic congestion, which has long been an issue at Miri Airport.

“To improve passenger flow, the design will focus on minimising walking distance, especially for Rural Air Service passengers.

“There will also be new F&B (food and beverage) outlets, a larger departure hall, and an increase in the number of aerobridges from three to nine,” Lee told reporters in a press conference.

The airport will also feature a smart e-hailing system, with vehicle arrival information displayed on digital screens for passengers waiting in designated zones.

According to Lee, the expansion project is expected to take 36 months to complete and will replace the current terminal, which has exceeded its design capacity of two million passengers per year.

Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced an allocation of RM235 million for the expansion of Miri Airport, as well as Tawau Airport in Sabah, during the tabling of the Supply Bill 2024 in October last year.

Miri remains Malaysia’s busiest domestic airport, serving five airlines—Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Batik Air, Scoot, and the Sarawak government-owned AirBorneo (formerly MASwings).

In 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, the airport recorded 42,076 aircraft movements and 2.4 million passengers.

Forecasts for 2025 project around 37,716 aircraft movements and over 2.2 million passengers, with 26,390 movements and 1.5 million passengers already recorded in the first eight months of this year.

Credit: The Borneo Post 2025