New airport can boost Tioman tourism

KUANTAN: A new airport on Pulau Tioman will stimulate the economic and tourism sectors on the island, acclaimed as one of the most beautiful in the world, said Pahang director of tourism Datuk Ishak Mokhtar.
He said the airport would help boost the number of tourists to the island, located off the east coast of Pahang in the South China Sea.
Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, when tabling Budget 2018 in Parliament last Friday, said a study was being undertaken by the government on a new airport on Pulau Tioman.
Ishak said: "Pulau Tioman has always been a welcome destination for local and international tourists but the island has some setbacks in terms of transportation. The tourists take the ferry to get to the island but the monsoon season can make the sea rough and force disruption of the service," he said to Bernama.
He said the number of tourists to Tioman continued to rise annually, adding that between January and June this year, 155,939 tourists visited the island.
Ishak said the existing airport on Tioman, located next to Kampung Tekek, handled chartered flights which could carry about 12 passengers at any one time.
"The island badly needs a new and bigger airport," he said, adding that there had been a proposal to build an airport in Kampung Genting, with part of the runway jutting out to the sea, and which is able to handle Boeing 737 aircraft. — Bernama