History of Kuching International Airport
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星洲日报：蔡羽《古晋机场的起降岁月》
On the morning of 26th September 1950, it was raining, but the normally quiet Penrissen Road was unusually busy. Private cars, buses, and bicycles from the city formed long lines along the road, creating a scene that was likely a first in history. The rain did not dampen people’s enthusiasm as they flocked to witness a historic event—the grand opening of Kuching Airport.
This new airport, which cost approximately 600,000 dollars to construct, was initiated in 1948 and primarily funded by the British Colonial Development and Welfare Fund and is the first major post-WWII project in Sarawak, under the management of Public Works Department (PWD). The airport featured a 1,372 m gravel runway, with grassy areas of 183 m at each end, designed to meet the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards as closely as possible. To facilitate construction, an estimated 35,000 tonnes of stone were sourced from a nearby quarry. Additionally, the authorities built a new road at Penrissen 6th Mile; providing a shortcut to the airport.
The airport complex featured an L-shaped single-storey terminal building, a control tower, a passenger waiting area, customs offices, a small cargo centre, and a fire station. It was said to be the best airport in Sarawak and Sabah at the time.
The opening ceremony was scheduled for 11 a.m., and as luck would have it, the rain eased just in time. Sir Anthony Abell, the Governor of the Sarawak colony at the time, presided over the ceremony. In his speech, he referred to Sarawak’s aviation history and mentioned that “Sarawak began its aviation services in 1928, and on 26th September 1938, constructed the first runway in Kuching”.
Rajah’s Flying Dream
As early as the 19th century, there were attempts to invent an aircraft, fulfilling humanity’s age-old dream of flight. It was not until 1903 when the Wright brothers successfully flew their self-built Wright Flyer 1, taking off and landing safely, thus recognised as the inventors of the airplane. Since then, research into aircraft technology has made continuous breakthroughs, with improvements in both flight altitude and distance, marking significant advances in the development of aviation industry.
The earliest aviation event in Sarawak dated back to the evening of 14th August 1922, when a deafening noise suddenly echoed across Belaga district, central region of Sarawak. The loud, thunderous sound terrified residents, who rushed out of their houses to witness a grey airship soaring overhead, trailing long white smoke. The airship was on a test flight, aiming to establish a route between London and Singapore.
On 16th October 1924, a ceremony was being held at the Charles Brooke Memorial in front of the Old Court House in Kuching, where both dignitaries and ordinary citizens had gathered to witness the unveiling of a commemorative plaque. Suddenly, the sky rumbled, and an unexpected seaplane appeared overhead. Shortly thereafter, two more aircraft joined it in formation. These three planes had taken off from a British Royal Navy warship that was enroute from Singapore to Miri and happened to be passing through Kuching. Seizing the opportunity, the Navy arranged for the three seaplanes to perform an aerial display in front of the Old Court House before landing on the Sarawak River.
In the following years, there were frequent records of airships being used for aerial reconnaissance and photography. The Rajah government of Sarawak also recognised the potential utility of airships, particularly given the region’s many rivers, and believed they could become a highly practical mode of transport, offering considerable convenience. Consequently, in 1928, the government purchased two seaplanes equipped with metal floats, naming them The Royalist and Venus, respectively. Unfortunately, The Royalist crashed during its maiden flight the following year, dealing a significant blow to the Rajah’s aviation dreams and leading the government to abandon Venus as well.
In 1935, the Sarawak government cleared forests along Penrissen Road and constructed two grass runways, each 732 m long, primarily for commercial purposes to facilitate trade between Sarawak, Singapore, and other regions. These runways were officially opened on 26th September 1938, with the first aircraft landing shortly thereafter. In 1941, during the Japanese colonial period, the Japanese military expanded one of the runways; however, it was later destroyed in a bombing raid by Australian forces.
Expansion Due to Growing Demand
During both World Wars, aircraft were not only used for military purposes, but also played a crucial role in accelerating advancements in science and technology. After the wars, many reconnaissance planes, bombers, and other military aircraft were repurposed for commercial and private use. Additionally, a large number of retired military pilots and aircraft were incorporated into civil aviation services, which, in turn, spurred developments in related industries such as tourism.
This explains why, two or three years shortly after the war, the existing airport runway in Sarawak was no longer sufficient to meet its growing demand, and substantial funds were needed for expansion, leading to the construction of the new airport in 1950. According to statistics from 1954, 1,550 aircraft had landed and taken off at this airport, with a total of 13,564 passengers and significant cargo volume. This development trend, coupled with the increasing size of aircraft, prompted the extension of the runway at Kuching Airport in 1959 to fulfil the take-off and landing requirements of the Vickers Viscount turboprop aircraft.
Since then, Kuching Airport has undergone numerous upgrades. In 1971, the Malaysian federal government appointed a team of consultants from Canada to explore the possibility of upgrading the airport to Kuching International Airport. In December 1972, the federal government accepted the experts' recommendations, focusing on expanding and strengthening the existing runway to ensure it could accommodate large jet aircraft, as well as constructing a new terminal building on the northern side of the runway.
The upgrade to Kuching International Airport cost RM35 million to construct. The new terminal, which was completed on 24th August 1983, vastly surpassed the old one in both size and functionality. Following the year 2000, the airport underwent another major refurbishment, which included the opening of a fully air-conditioned terminal building in 2006. In 2008, the expansion of the runway and taxiways was completed, further enhancing the airport’s capacity and functionality. These improvements have contributed to Kuching International Airport’s continued service and growth today.
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