For the article about the main Kuala Lumpur gateway (KUL), see Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (Malay: Lapangan Terbang Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah, Chinese: 苏丹阿都阿兹沙机场), LTSAAS (IATA: SZB, ICAO: WMSA) (formerly Subang International Airport), often called Subang Airport and known as Skypark Subang, is an airport located in Subang, Malaysia, and primarily serves general aviation and some turboprop domestic flights. Although plans existed to convert the airport into a low-cost carrier hub, the change was opposed by Subang Jaya residents. Before the 1998 opening of the KL International Airport in Sepang, the (then) Subang International Airport served as Kuala Lumpur's main airport. Subang Airport is currently the hub for Berjaya Air and Firefly commercial turboprop services.Transmile Air Services is the only other non-passenger non turbo prop aircraft landing and utilising Subang Airport Terminal 2. While heavily opposed by Ara Damansara residents of the noise of the jet engines, Transmile still operates out of SZB servicing DHL and other local hubs.

History

The airport officially was opened to traffic on August 30, 1965, and had the longest runway (3.7 km long, 45m wide - runway 15 - 33) in Southeast Asia, replacing Sungai Besi Airport. By the 1990s, the airport had three terminals - Terminal 1 for international flights, Terminal 2 for Singapore - KL shuttle flights by Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines, and Terminal 3 for domestic flights. Toward the end of service, the airport suffered at least two major fires that forced traffic to be diverted to other airports. By the end of 1997, Subang Airport handled 15.8 million passengers.

Exit stamp from Subang International Airport.

In July 2002, AirAsia began flying from KLIA, and in 2004, AirAsia considered utilising the airport as a primary hub in Malaysia. However, the plan was rejected and the Malaysian government now plans to turn the airport into an international conference centre.. Since Firefly started operations in the airport, AirAsia has been lobbying the government to allow AirAsia to use Subang Airport. As of December 2007, the government still maintains its policy of only allowing general aviation and turbo-prop flights out of Subang Airport.

The airport underwent renovation works at Terminal 3 from February 2008 and was finished in October 2009. Terminal 3 was renamed into Subang Skypark.

Currently

The airport serves as Berjaya Air's main gateway to several Malaysian holiday destinations, including Pulau Tioman. Transmile Air Services a national cargo carrier chose Subang Airport as their main cargo operation center, Several companies offer chartered flights and helicopter services from the airport. One of the largest FBO (Fixed Base Operator) in the region (with covered hangar space of more than 100,000sqft), Dnest Aviation Services is also based in this airport. Their newest hangar boast a "first of its kind" infrastructure capable of taking in either a 737 BBJ or A319 ACJ and 2 basement floors directly underneath it with ample of office space, lecture rooms, carpark and a cafeteria. A number of flying clubs are also located at Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah airport, the most famous of these being Subang Flying Club, Elite Flying Club, Eurocopter(An EADS Company), ESB Flying Club(Eurodynamic Sdn Bhd). With Eurocopter, the airport servers as a maintenance and support facility for Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency helicopters.

Malaysia Airline's subsidiary Firefly has been granted approval by the Malaysian Government to utilise the airport for turboprop flights. MAS Aerospace, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, operates a maintenance, repair and overhaul center at the airport for Malaysia Airline's aircraft and third party aircraft. Malaysia Airlines's head office is located on the grounds of the airport.

Apart from that, Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport was to be a hub for Global Flying Hospitals, but the humanitarian medical charity made the decision to close down Malaysian Operations, stating that the elements to make the correct formula for the GFH model were not present.

Terminal 3 Transformation Plan

On 4 December 2007, Subang SkyPark Sdn Bhd announce a RM 300 million plan to transform the Terminal 3 building into an ultra-modern general and corporate aviation hub. The plan includes upgrading the terminal, creation of regional aviation center and finally the establishment of a commercial nexus. Under an agreement with Malaysia Airports, Subang Skypark will serve private aviation while Malaysia Airports will serve Berjaya Air and Firefly Airlines. Subang Skypark recently signed a lease agreement with Malaysia Airports for the land in the Airport in Langkawi.

On the next day, VistaJet, a business jet service provider, has announced that it will use the airport as a base of operations in Malaysia. It has chosen Terminal 3, which is being operated by Subang Skypark to be the hub in Asia.

The operator announce that construction works for a 9,000 square feet (840 m), five star executive lounge begins in February 2008. The construction works was awarded to ArcRadius Sdn Bhd. It is expected that the lounge works will be done by end of March 2008. The transformation plans also calls for a construction of two 42 meters by 47 meters maintenance, repair and overhaul hangars and ten 36 meter by 36 meter parking hangars. The construction of the MRO hangars will complete by end of 2008 while two of the ten parking hangars will complete by end of 2009.

On August 8, 2008, VistaJet Holding SA started operations from the airport. It provides private jet travel from Malaysia to anywhere in the world.

Subang Airport underwent a RM40 facelift on the check-in terminals.. The facelift did nothing much to address the lack of parking spots, although a valet service is provided. Parking cost RM25 on daily basis.There are no rail links connected to the airport unlike Kuala Lumpur International Airport but travellers can catch a local bus out of Central Market bus hub.

The airport was officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on 28 October 2009. The Prime Minister has expressed confidence that the airport will reach 2 million annual passenger and emerge and a regional hub of ASEAN.

Airlines and destinations

While Terminal 1 has been demolished, Terminal 2 is currently used for the management of Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad. Transmile uses the hangar and apron of the terminal 1 (across the street) connected by an aero bridge for loading of cargo. The Immigration Department also utilise Terminal 2 building for issue of passports and local documentation.

Traffic and Statistics

Accidents and incidents

• 27 September 1977 - Japan Airlines Flight 715 , a Douglas DC-8, crashed into a hill in bad weather while attempting to land at Subang Airport. 34 people, including 8 of the 10 crew members and 26 of the 69 passengers, were killed when the aircraft broke on impact.
• 4 December 1977 - A Boeing 737-200 (9M-MBD) operating as Malaysia Airlines Flight 653 from Penang to Kuala Lumpur was hijacked and crashed in Tanjung Kupang, Johor, killing all 100 people aboard.
• 18 December 1983 - Malaysia Airlines Flight 684, an Airbus A300 leased from Scandinavian Airlines System crashed 2 km short of the runway in Subang on a flight from Singapore in bad weather. There were no fatalities, but the aircraft was written off. Ironically, the aircraft was operating its last scheduled flight for Malaysia Airlines, before being returned to its original operator, Scandinavian Airlines System.
• 19 February 1989 - A Boeing 747 owned by Flying Tiger Line crashed 12 kilometres from the airport while on approach. The pilots misinterpreted the controller's instructions to descend, causing the aircraft to fly below minimum attitude and crashing into a hillside on the outskirts of Puchong (the flight crew mistook the descent altitude to be 400 feet (120 m), when the controller actually meant 2400 feet). All 4 flight crew were killed.

The content above was published at Airports-Worldwide.com in 2010.
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