THE BRUNEI Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) is drawing up a three-phase expansion plan to develop the country's airport into a regional hub.
Brunei wants to develop the airport following the formation of the East ASEAN Growth Area (EAGA), formed between Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Under the EAGA agreement, the four countries have signed an air-services memorandum to develop trade and travel.
The Brunei Airport master plan, being prepared with US consultant Airways Engineering, provides for the staged development of the airport through to the year 2025. The study is due to be completed by April 1996.
Phase one calls initially for the improvements at the airport's existing six-gate terminal building. Phase two centres on the construction of a second eight-gate terminal, followed later by a third similar-sized building, increasing the airport's annual capacity to 10-12 million passengers.
Under the EAGA agreement, services are planned between Brunei and 12 major destinations in the neighbouring East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, the Indonesian province of Kalimantan, and the southern Philippines.
National and regional carriers from the four countries are considering establishing code-sharing, schedule co-ordination and common-user arrangements.
Three Malaysian third-level carriers have agreed in the meantime to amalgamate, to improve services within the EAGA region. Seaga Air will be formed by Sabah Air and Hornbill Skyway of Sarawak, each holding a 40% stake, and Ekran Air will hold the remaining 20%. The airline will based in Miri and Kota Kinabalu.
Source: Flight International
