Sabah Airport Debate Turns to Runways and Costs as Institute Calls for Full Study
A public forum weighed expansion and relocation options for Kota Kinabalu, alongside a wider transport study planned for 2027.
Sabah's main aviation gateway should be assessed on costs, runway capacity and long-term economic benefits before a decision is made to expand it or move it, the state's logistics and transport professional body said on Nov. 8.
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Malaysia's Sabah section called for equally rigorous evaluation of retaining and relocating Kota Kinabalu International Airport after a public forum held the previous day.
Chairman Daniel Doughty said development costs, financing needs and environmental effects should be part of that assessment, according to Bernama. The forum brought aviation professionals, government representatives, businesses, academics and the public together at the Sabah International Convention Centre.
The institute also welcomed a state plan for an integrated transport and logistics master plan study in 2027, covering air, land and maritime connections. It intends to consolidate the forum's expert views, public concerns and participant polling into a report for the authorities.
A Larger Terminal Is Only One Part of Capacity
Civil aviation consultant Edward Clayton outlined options including a second runway, an alternative runway configuration or a separate relief airport, Free Malaysia Today reported from the forum.
Those options address a different question from simply adding space inside the terminal. Terminal capacity concerns how many passengers a building can accommodate, while runway availability and layout affect aircraft movements and operational resilience.
The forum also considered airline route economics, cargo and aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul. Doughty cautioned that expanding facilities alone does not guarantee that more airlines will fly to an airport: passenger demand, airline profitability and supporting businesses matter as well.
The debate is therefore about the whole aviation system, including how an airport connects people and cargo to the rest of Sabah. A location that can accommodate more infrastructure still needs to be assessed for access and its economic role.
Expansion Has an Existing Policy Background
Malaysia Airports has described plans to increase Kota Kinabalu's annual passenger capacity from nine million to 12 million as part of a wider network investment programme. In an operator update published through Routes, it grouped the Sabah project with capacity work at Penang and other airports.
The operator also described a network-wide replacement programme for critical equipment, including passenger boarding bridges at Kota Kinabalu and several other airports. These investments illustrate that development includes operational systems as well as floor space.
Aviation Week's August account of the expansion proposal said it covered terminal expansion and renovation, airside infrastructure, curbside areas and parking. It identified 18 airlines serving the airport.
That proposal provides context for the current discussion but does not amount to a decision to relocate the airport. Nor does a professional forum itself authorise a new runway or a new site.
Runway Resilience Has Drawn Attention
In September, STAR president and Keningau MP Jeffrey Kitingan called for a new-airport study after a temporary runway closure disrupted flights. FMT reported that the runway reopened after repair work and safety checks.
Kitingan argued that enlarging the terminal would not resolve reliance on one runway and proposed examining the Papar–Kimanis area. His position is one contribution to the debate, rather than an announced government selection of a replacement site.
The institute's latest intervention seeks to put alternatives on a comparable evidential basis. Its forthcoming forum report and the proposed 2027 transport study are the next identified steps toward assessing which investment would best serve Sabah.