Sultan Azlan Shah Airport

Sultan Azlan Shah Airport

Lapangan Terbang Sultan Azlan Shah
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerKhazanah Nasional
OperatorMalaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB)
ServesIpoh and southern Perak, Malaysia
LocationIpoh, Perak, Malaysia
Time zoneMST (UTC+08:00)
Elevation AMSL130 ft / 40 m
Coordinates04°34′09″N 101°05′35″E / 4.56917°N 101.09306°E / 4.56917; 101.09306
Maps

Perak State in Malaysia
IPH/WMKI
IPH/WMKI
IPH/WMKI (Peninsular Malaysia)
IPH/WMKI
IPH/WMKI (Malaysia)
IPH/WMKI
IPH/WMKI (Southeast Asia)
IPH/WMKI
IPH/WMKI (Asia)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
04/22 2,000 6,562 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Passenger517,160 ( 54.8%)
Airfreight (tonnes)0 ()
Aircraft movements25,181 ( 1.6%)
Source: MAHB Airport Statistics 2023 [1]
AIP Malaysia[2]

Sultan Azlan Shah Airport (IATA: IPH, ICAO: WMKI) is an airport serving the city of Ipoh in the Malaysian state of Perak. Situated approximately 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from the city center, it ranks as the 15th busiest airport in Malaysia.[3]

History

History and Inception

Ipoh Airport was originally planned to be developed in 1983 under the Fourth Malaysia Plan.[4] During that period, the airport could only accommodate smaller aircraft such as the Fokker models.[5] In response to rising air travel demand, a new terminal was proposed in late 1988, with an allocated budget of RM35 million.[6] This expansion included runway extensions to support larger Boeing 737 aircraft.[6] The construction of these improvements was completed in August 1989, with the terminal expected to be operational by mid-September of that year.[6][5]

Decline in Passenger Demand

During its peak, Ipoh Airport served a significant number of passengers, partly due to Malaysia Airlines operating services to and from the city. However, following the opening of the North-South Expressway, many travelers opted for alternative transportation methods, which offered more cost-effective options compared to air travel. Consequently, Malaysia Airlines and later AirAsia ceased their services from the airport. Additionally, with the introduction of electric train services that provided direct links to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Airports began to re-evaluate the financial sustainability of Ipoh Airport.[7]

Revitalisation and Upgrades

To revitalise the airport, a new terminal building was constructed along with an extended runway at a cost of RM45 million. The runway was lengthened to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) to allow operations by larger aircraft such as the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families. The new terminal featured expanded departure and arrival halls, full air-conditioning and an increased capacity to handle a larger volume of passengers.[8]

Despite these upgrades, the runway was initially restricted to turboprop aircraft due to the emergence of potholes shortly after construction.[9] Although the issue was resolved, similar runway maintenance issues recurred before being permanently addressed, allowing the runway to be used daily by various aircraft.[10][11]

Recent Services and Operations

In September 2014, Firefly resumed operations at Ipoh Airport with a route to Singapore, followed by Malindo Air (now Batik Air Malaysia) in October 2014, which introduced routes to Subang, Johor Bahru and Medan, Indonesia. Srivijaya Air also launched a route to Medan in November 2014, expanding the airport’s connectivity within the region.

In May 2015, Tigerair, now Scoot, began services to Ipoh, further enhancing its international reach. AirAsia resumed its Johor Bahru-Ipoh service in October 2018 and added a new routes to Singapore in December 2018 and Langkawi in 2020. These additions strengthened Ipoh Airport’s position as a growing regional airport, offering more options for both domestic and international travel.

In May 2025, Airasia suspended the International route from Ipoh to Singapore, leaving Singaporean airlines company Scoot being the sole airlines company operating the Ipoh - Singapore route. The local state government has expressed strong dissatisfaction over this decision, citing that it might negatively impact tourism between the two countries.

Future Growth and Expansion Plans

The Malaysian Government has explored relocation options for Ipoh Airport, constrained by surrounding residential areas that limit further expansion. Potential sites considered include areas farther from the city center, such as Seri Iskandar or Batang Padang near Tapah, though no concrete actions have been implemented. Another proposal suggested utilizing Ipoh as a feeder airport, as it faces challenges competing with larger airports in Penang and Kuala Lumpur. While several airlines have expressed interest in adding routes to Ipoh, only Tigerair (now Scoot) has established operations.[12] Airlines from China and Indonesia have also indicated interest in future services.[13]

In March 2017, the Perak state government announced plans to expand the terminal to increase passenger capacity. Additional upgrades, including an extension of the runway from 2 to 2.5 kilometres (1.2 to 1.6 mi), were anticipated the following year to better support larger aircraft and enhance connectivity. These improvements are aimed at making Ipoh Airport more competitive as a regional hub while addressing the space limitations of its current location.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
AirAsia Johor Bahru[14][15][16][17]
Scoot Singapore

Traffic and statistics

Annual passenger numbers and aircraft statistics
Year
Passengers
handled
Passenger
% change
Cargo
(tonnes)
Cargo
% change
Aircraft
movements
Aircraft
% change
2003 115,286 498 1,572 11.88
2004 103,123 10.6 735 47.6 1,402 10.84
2005 74,451 27.8 437 40.5 1,145 18.31
2006 64,711 13.1 357 18.3 954 16.72
2007 814 98.8 10 97.2 12 98.73
2008 5,376 560.4 0 100 183 14252
2009 21,937 308.0 0 384 109.85
2010 48,508 121.1 0 844 119.84
2011 71,169 46.7 0 1,536 82.07
2012 73,354 3.1 34 167.4 1,515 1.49
2013 74,320 1.3 403 1091.4 1,464 3.45
2014 98,768 32.9 296 26.6 17,682 1107.888
2015 222,606 125.4 318 7.2 19,956 12.98
2016 269,696 21.2 178 44.1 14,137 29.28
2017 274,146 1.7 105 40.8 10,910 22.89
2018 315,673 15.1 142 35.1 10,369 5.0
2019 457,231 44.8 0 12,170 17.4
2020 100,585 78.0 0 15,511 27.5
2021 35,145 65.1 0 16,658 12.7
2022 334,165 850.8 0 25,595 53.6
2023 517,160 54.8 0 25,181 1.6
Source: Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad[18]
Busiest flights out of Sultan Azlan Shah Airport by frequency
Rank Destinations Frequency (weekly) Airlines Note
1 Singapore 28 Airasia, Scoot AirAsia will suspend its operations by April 2025.
2 Johor Bahru, Johor 9 Airasia

References

  1. ^ "Airport Statistics 2023" (PDF). Malaysia Airports. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
  2. ^ WMKI – IPOH/IPOH SULTAN AZLAN SHAH at Department of Civil Aviation Malaysia
  3. ^ "Total Passengers Handled by Airports, Malaysia, 2023" (PDF). Ministry of Transport Malaysia. p. 43. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
  4. ^ "$2.4 b master plan to develop airports". The Straits Times. 20 May 1983. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Ipoh's new airport terminal to be ready next month". The Straits Times. 19 August 1989. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  6. ^ a b c "Ipoh airport to be improved". The Straits Times. 30 October 1988. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  7. ^ "What is happening to Ipoh Airport? | Ipoh Echo (Archives)".
  8. ^ Zambry Checks Out Ipoh Airport | Ipoh Echo (Archives). Ipoh Echo (15 January 2013).
  9. ^ Malaysian, The. (6 April 2014) RM45 million wasted in Ipoh airport upgrade as potholes prevent bigger aircraft landings – MSN Malaysia News. News.malaysia.msn.com.
  10. ^ Ipoh airport ready to take on bigger aircraft | The Malay Mail Online. Ipoh airport ready to take on bigger aircraft (10 July 2014).
  11. ^ "Ipoh airport shut down after sinkhole appears in runway | New Straits Times". 5 May 2017.
  12. ^ Tigerair plans to expand network in Malaysia – Business News. The Star (4 July 2013).
  13. ^ Ipoh airport eyeing flights from Xiamen – Nation. The Star (23 May 2013).
  14. ^ "AirAsia to start JB-Alor Setar, JB-Ipoh flights from Oct 1". 18 July 2018.
  15. ^ "AirAsia adds new domestic routes from Johor Bahru from Oct 2018".
  16. ^ "AirAsia Launches Ipoh-Johor Bahru Route, More Connections to Perak Soon". 13 July 2018. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020.
  17. ^ "Johor route for AirAsia | News | Breaking Travel News".
  18. ^ "Malaysia Airports: Airports Statistics 2020" (PDF). Malaysia Airports. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
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