By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, May 30: The project to upgrade facilities at Miri Airport, involving five major components, is actively underway and showing encouraging progress, forming part of the initial preparations for a comprehensive terminal upgrade.
In a TVS news report, Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin said that the preliminary design studies for the full terminal expansion, carried out by the Public Works Department (JKR) and appointed consultants, have already commenced and are expected to be completed by November this year.
“The ongoing facility upgrades are critical given that the airport terminal has been in operation for over two decades and has experienced wear and tear over time.
“Since 2013, annual passenger movement at Miri Airport has exceeded two million. The current facilities must be upgraded to ensure comfort and safety for all users,” he said during a working visit with Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) management today.
The five key components currently being upgraded include the replacement of the air conditioning system and ventilation ducts, refurbishment of public toilets, replacement of escalators, restoration of the concrete floor at Apron Bay 1, and installation of two new passenger boarding bridges equipped with visual docking guidance systems.
“Toilet refurbishment on the ground floor has begun and will proceed to the first floor. All facilities, including those for men, women and persons with disabilities, will be fully upgraded.
“The existing escalators are outdated and frequently malfunction. Their replacement is crucial, and work is already 29 per cent complete—15 per cent ahead of schedule,” Lee reported.
The replacement of the aging air conditioning system and rusted, leaking ventilation ducts is expected to be completed by mid-July. Meanwhile, the restoration of the concrete floor at Apron Bay 1 is projected to be completed by Feb 19, 2026.
“Once the concrete floor works are completed, we will be able to use the space to park larger aircraft. Another aerobridge will also be added once the terminal expansion progresses,” he added.
As for the new passenger boarding bridges, one unit has already been installed, while the second, at Bay 3, will be installed after the Gawai festival and is expected to be completed within two months.
“I inspected the aerobridge at Bay 4, which is now equipped with a new air conditioning unit and digital docking system that allows aircraft to park without the need for manual guidance by ground staff,” he said.
Lee also urged airport authorities to repaint the entire airport building, which currently appears faded and worn.
“I’ve requested MAHB to repaint the whole building this year, including the exterior, which appears dilapidated to arriving passengers. This will give our airport a fresh new image,” he said.
He reiterated that the current upgrading works are the first phase toward the long-term plan to expand the Miri Airport terminal to accommodate future passenger growth and raise overall service standards. — DayakDaily
