Senai International Airport Explained

Senai International Airport
Image2-Width:250
Iata:JHB
Icao:WMKJ
Type:Public
Owner:MMC Corporation Berhad
Operator:Senai Airport Terminal Services Sdn Bhd
Location:Senai, Kulai District, Johor, Malaysia
Timezone:MST
Elevation-F:127
Coordinates:1.6406°N 103.6703°W
Image Map Caption:Johor state in Malaysia
Pushpin Map:Malaysia_Johor#Malaysia West#Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Senai, Kulai, Johor, West Malaysia
Pushpin Label:JHB/WMKJ
Metric-Rwy:y
R1-Number:16/34
R1-Length-M:3,800
R1-Surface:Asphalt
Stat-Year:2023
Stat1-Header:Passenger
Stat1-Data:3,010,000 (71.23%)
Stat2-Header:Airfreight (tonnes)
Stat2-Data:10,120 (31.1%)
Stat3-Header:Aircraft movements
Stat3-Data:42,000 (63.2%)
Footnotes:Sources: AIP Malaysia[1] [2]

Senai International Airport, formerly known as Sultan Ismail International Airport[3] is an international airport in the town of Senai, Kulai District, Johor, Malaysia, serving Johor Bahru and the southernmost region of Peninsular Malaysia. The airport is located approximately 22 km north-west of the Johor Bahru city centre.

History

Opened in 1974, the airport is managed and operated by Senai Airport Terminal Services Sdn Bhd (SATSSB) which took over the operations from Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) in 2003 under a 50-year concession to develop the airport. SATSSB is currently wholly owned by MMC Corporation Berhad. Senai International Airport is currently the only privately managed public airport in Malaysia. SATSSB also operates Kerteh Airport for Petronas.

Plans for expanding the airport was announced in 1978.[4]

The federal government planned to upgrade the airport in 1990, costing RM 100 million. It was later approved in April 1990.[5]

Meanwhile, Malaysia Airlines' planned to reroute its international flights to the airport instead of Singapore Changi as it is cheaper.[6] The plan was approved in August 1991.[7]

In September 1990, Malaysia Airlines began adding direct flights from the airport to Kuala Terengganu attract tourists to Terengganu and Kelantan. [8]

In April 1992, Malaysia Airlines began weekly flights from Senai to Hong Kong, marking "a new era" for the airport.[9]

In 1993, Senai Airport was upgraded, costing RM 93 million. The uprgade works include expansions to the terminal and runway, and the construction of an aerobridge. The uprade would enable the airport to carry more McDonnell Douglas DC-10 aircraft than before,[10] with traffic increased to 100 flights weekly.

Senai International Airport is capable of handling up to 4.5 million passengers and 80,000 tonnes of cargo per annum.

Senai International Airport serves as the aviation gateway for Iskandar Malaysia and the southern region, and is dedicated to providing routes and services essential to cater the needs of both tourism and business travelers. Equipped with a 3,800-metre Category 4E runway, Senai International Airport can handle aircraft up to large jets such as the Airbus A350 XWB, the Boeing 777 and even the Antonov An-124 Ruslan freighter. Currently, there are four airlines operating at Senai International Airport, serving 12 domestic and 6 international destinations.

In 2019, Senai International Airport handled a total of 4,254,922 passengers and 15,010 tons of freight with a combination of 52,030 scheduled and non-scheduled commercial aircraft movements. Currently the terminal is being expanded to handle 5 million passengers by 2023.[11]

Airlines and destinations

Traffic and statistics

Annual passenger numbers and aircraft statistics[12]
20091,316,082N/AN/A
20101,235,400 6.16,23911,934
20111,337,562 8.35,438 12.815,167 27.1
20121,376,383 3.03,149 42.112,506 17.4
20131,989,979 44.63,443 9.337,998 203.8
20142,325,816 16.94,934 43.342,976 13.1
20152,581,966 11.15,272 6.941,892 2.5
20162,828,074 12.16,245 18.042,744 2.0
20173,124,799 10.57,614 21.946,497 3.0
20183,522,519 12.79,691 27.052,030 12.0
20194,270,144 21.214,694 51.658,313 12.1
20201,096,517 74.310,120 31.121,481 63.2
2021371,754 33.410,120 31.121,481 63.2
20222,144,036 476.710,120 31.121,481 63.2
20233,010,000 71.2310,120 31.142,000 63.2
Source: Ministry of Transport[13]
Busiest domestic flights out of Senai International Airport by frequency as of September 2023
RankDestinationsFrequency (Weekly)Airlines
1 Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur53AK, MH, OD
2 Penang, Pulau Pinang49AK, FY
3 Subang, Selangor42FY, OD
4 Kuching, Sarawak 24AK
5 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah 14AK
6 Sibu, Sarawak7AK
7 Ipoh, Perak7AK
8 Langkawi, Kedah4AK
9 Alor Setar, Kedah4AK
10 Tawau, Sabah4AK
11 Kota Bharu, Kelantan3AK
12 Miri, Sarawak2AK
Busiest international flights out of Senai International Airport by frequency as of September 2023
RankDestinationsFrequency (Weekly)Airlines
1 Jakarta-Soekarno Hatta, Indonesia14QZ, 8B
2 Bangkok-Don Mueang, Thailand11FD
3 Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam7AK
4 Guangzhou, China7AK
5 Surabaya, Indonesia7QZ
6 Haikou, China2OD
7 Medina, Saudi Arabian1MH

Ground transport

Senai International Airport is connected to PLUS Highway, Senai–Desaru Expressway and Second Link Expressway. Taxis are available outside the airport. Buses are available to the city centre with the option to transit to Singapore.[14]

Causeway Link provides the commuters a route to JB Sentral.

Bus No.Destinations
AA1JB Sentral

Senai Business Aviation Terminal (SBAT)

SATSSB also operates SBAT, a private aviation terminal located just beside the airport's main terminal building and sharing the same infrastructure. True to its name, SBAT features business facilities including meeting and conference rooms, and dining and private rest facilities.

Senai Airport Free Industrial Zone (SAFIZ)

SAFIZ forms part of Senai International Airport's total land area and operates as a free industrial zone for several multinational factories and distribution hubs, including Pokka, Celestica and BMW.

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://aip.dca.gov.my/aip%20pdf/AD/AD2/WMKJ/WMKJ-Johor%20BahruSultan%20Ismail%20Airport.pdf WMKJ – JOHOR BAHRU/SENAI INTERNATIONAL
  2. Web site: Senai International Airport : About Senai Airport : Facts at a Glance . Senaiairport.com . 26 July 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120303061909/http://www.senaiairport.com/about.asp?menuid=100127&rootid=100000 . 3 March 2012 . dmy-all .
  3. Web site: Senai International Airport - Introduction. Senai International Airport.
  4. News: Senai airport runway to be extended . 1 April 2024 . The Straits Times . 7 March 1978.
  5. News: KL okays $63.4m to expand airport in Johor . 1 April 2024 . The Straits Times . 13 April 1990.
  6. News: 'Re-route flights through Senai' call to MAS . 30 March 2024 . The Straits Times . 4 August 1990.
  7. News: MAS 'yes' to using Senai as stopover point for global flights . 30 March 2024 . The Straits Times . 7 August 1991.
  8. News: Direct Kelantan and Trengganu flights to woo S'pore tourists . 30 March 2024 . The Straits Times . 5 September 1990.
  9. News: Direct JB-Hongkong flights mark new era for Senai airport . 1 April 2024 . The Straits Times . 2 January 1992.
  10. News: Johor airport upgrading to cost M$93m . 30 March 2024 . Business Times (Singapore) . 15 April 1992.
  11. Web site: Statistic:Aviation. Ministry of Transport. https://web.archive.org/web/20120318072702/http://www.mot.gov.my/en/Statistics/Pages/Aviation.aspx. 18 March 2012. dead. 16 July 2014. dmy-all.
  12. Senai Airport Terminal Services Sdn Bhd
  13. Web site: Malaysia Transportation Statistics 2020 . Ministry of Transport . 5 October 2021.
  14. Web site: By Bus.