Subang airport redevelopment into aviation hub - traffic around Ara worsening, noise pollution

Subang Airport, also known as Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, is all set to be redeveloped after the cabinet approved plans for its refresh recently.

Under the Subang Airport Regeneration Plan (SARP), the airport will be upgraded and redeveloped into a regional aviation hub, which should be able to handle 8 million passengers annually. 

Transport Minister Anthony Loke even said to the Malay Mail that the airport would be "a game changer as far as Subang airport is concerned".

"The end goal would be to turn Subang Airport into a regional aviation hub with a maximum capacity of eight million annual passengers, which will create thousands of high-value jobs in Malaysia," Mr Loke said to The Star.

Some of the big plans in mind for the airport include the reintroduction of scheduled commercial passenger and belly cargo flights utilising narrow-body jets up to the size of A320/B737. 

“the government is now allowing narrow-body jets to operate in this airport again, but for this to happen, there must be redevelopment of the airport terminals,” he said, as reported by the Malay Mail.

While this might be some good news for those who are always travelling for business purposes as the airport is closer to the city centre, communities around the area might be worried that the increase in visitors to the area might add more traffic to an already congested area.

As it is, Ara Damansara and surrounding areas are already being affected by the worsening traffic on the Subang Airport road, and if Jet Planes were to be reintroduced to the airport, it might even create unwanted noise pollution.

Since KLIA was opened in 1998, Subang Airport gradually winded down its operations, and jet engines were disallowed from operating. Since then, many more housing developments have cropped up in the area, with many families deciding to root themselves there. This redevelopment would surely create some worries, just like any around the Klang Valley as it always seems to add more congestion.

Subang airport was the primary airport serving Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding areas until 1998 when Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) was opened. 

The airport has a rich history, having been established in 1965 and serving as a hub for Malaysia-Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines, among others. 

The airport also played a significant role in the development of Malaysia's aviation industry.

 In recent years, Subang Airport has been transformed into a general and business aviation hub with facilities such as maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services and flight training centres.