LETTER | Subang Airport can regain its former glory

LETTER | The Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, also known as the Subang airport, is now being revived, with passengers from more airlines being permitted to embark and disembark.

The revival of the airport under the Subang Airport Regeneration Plan (SARP) is long overdue, and its various facilities should be re-used and not wasted.

First and foremost should be the sprucing up of Subang Airport road from the Federal Highway to the Star Avenue Mall in Subang Bestari near the RRI.

In the last 30 years, since the KLIA began operations, the surroundings of the Subang airport have been neglected and have deteriorated greatly.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke needs to look into ways to make the environment around the airport neat and beautiful, and he should start with the airport road.

All the decaying old trees need to be replaced with colourful, flowering, and vibrant trees. Such trees on either side of the airport road would be a pleasant sight to behold that will find favour with locals and foreigners. All the trees along the road reserve need to be cut down as almost all are in various stages of neglect and decay. 

The wide road reserve on either side needs to be cleared of undergrowth and other structures, including makeshift stalls and other eyesores.

New signboards need to be installed and the road should be resurfaced. The airport road roundabout can be made more lively with attractive landscaping. More billboards can be installed.

It is also time to look into rejuvenating and reusing some of the dilapidated buildings along the airport, which were abandoned when the Subang Airport operations were shifted to KLIA.

If planned proactively, the airport can be revived to be a major hub for various aviation-related activities as it enjoys a favourable location near Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam, Klang, Subang Jaya, and other new developments such as Kota Damansara. 

The Shah Alam City Council needs to do more for the upkeep and maintenance of the airport and its surroundings and not just be proud and content that the airport is under its jurisdiction and a revenue earner.

The airport can grow exponentially due to the favourable factors and the first initiative will be to spruce up the whole area to make it more vibrant and lively.

Other than the KTM Skypark Link and the soon-to-be-resumed Skypark Link service, if the airport has expansion plans, it can be connected to the nearby MRT in Kota Damansara in the future. This will increase the number of passengers at the airport as well as MRT ridership.

The open car park opposite Skypark Terminal 3 also needs to be upgraded and repaved.

People in the Klang Valley look forward to a time when the Subang airport will be a hive of activities, more than before.

I am sure Loke has a big vision to make the Subang Airport a vibrant city and regional airport and he should ask for a reasonable 2025 budgetary allocation for the SARP to become a reality in a short time.

It is always beneficial to have two airports for the large population of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

The Subang airport can be used as an alternative to the KLIA in case of any emergency or defence needs now that the Sungai Besi Airport is no more.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.