KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 11): After nearly two years of deadlock, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) has reached a major breakthrough with the government over the redevelopment of the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang, Selangor (Subang Airport), with the airport operator getting into the pilot’s seat.

In April 2021, MAHB unveiled its Subang Airport Regeneration concept master plan — a RM1.3 billion plan that includes transforming the old airport into a city airport that can serve about five million passengers a year — after three years in the works.

Plans to redevelop the airport had stalled after a competing proposal was submitted to the government just a month earlier by construction and property firm WCT Holdings Bhd.

But after months of speculation, the government has made its preference clear. On Feb 6, Loke announced that the Cabinet had given the nod to the Subang Airport Regeneration plan and MAHB had been selected to take charge of the airport’s redevelopment.

The airport operator has until the end of next month to engage with tenants, operators and immediate stakeholders of Subang Airport to fine-tune its concept master plan, as well as come up with a business plan detailing the cost of the entire project.

While most of the recommendations proposed in the original Subang Airport Regeneration concept master plan remain intact, it now includes the return of scheduled commercial passenger jets to Subang Airport.

In the latest issue of The Edge, we spoke to MAHB managing director Datuk Iskandar Mizal Mahmood, who dismissed concerns that allowing commercial passenger jets to return to Subang Airport could potentially cannibalise KLIA’s traffic.

He also spoke about the ties between MAHB and WCT, which were strained after WCT made the bid to take over the operations of Subang Airport.

Read more in our cover story in The Edge Weekly’s Feb 13 edition. 

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