The Pulau Pangkor Island Airport is to reopen this 1 October 2019 on 22 January 2022, which is a positive move towards tourism on this island off the west coast of Perak, Malaysia.
Update Jan 2022 - Pangkor Airport is scheduled to open on 22 January 2022.
This airport is also called Lapangan Terbang Pulau Pangkor, a direct translation from the Malay language and has an airport code of PKG.
Flights to Pangkor Island Airport will be from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah (Subang Airport), which is scheduled to be a daily direct flight.
The reopening of the Pangkor Airport is huge news for the island, as it has been years since the airport closed. This has got many people excited, hoping to see an increase in tourism on the island.
Pangkor Island Airport To Reopen
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| The current structure of the Pangkor Island Airport. Photo SKS Airways Facebook |
However, things can change due to government issues, finances, planning and so on; therefore, we can only hope that things flow smoothly for the targeted opening.
This news also benefits everyone as Pangkor Island will be officially a duty-free island from 1 January 2020. The news report was announced by the government in early 2019.
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| View of the current Pulau Pangkor Airport in the old design. Photo SKS Airways Facebook |
For the inaugural flights to the island, it is mentioned that there will be direct flights from Subang Airport in Petaling Jaya.
There are also plans for direct flights from Ipoh’s Sultan Azlan Shah Airport to Pangkor Airport, but the focus is still on the Subang Airport or Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Selangor.
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| The Pangkor STOL Airport Runway from above |
The airport at Pangkor Island officially opened in 1993 as a STOL or short take of and landing airport suitable for only small turboprop planes.
The airstrip measures 732 meters long, which can only accommodate smaller passenger planes like the DCH-6 Twin Otter aircraft, and the de Havilland Canada Dash 7.
One of the original airlines that operated this route was Berjaya Air, where the Berjaya Group also runs the famous luxury Pangkor Laut Resort on a separate island.
There were three flights a week from Subang Airport on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday using the 48 seats de Havilland Canada Dash 7 aircraft. Berjaya Air now operates private charters.
Pangkor Airport closed in February 2014 due to several reasons. One of them was that two large resorts had closed down on the island, and fewer travellers were heading here.
When Will Pangkor Island Airport Open?
The official news states that the Pulau Pangkor Airport will start operations on 1 October 2019. This was mentioned in the mainstream news at the end of March 2019.
*Updated news states Pangkor airport will open on 22 January 2022.
There will also be flights starting before the official date due to testing and familiarization with operations.
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| SKS Airways DCH-6 Twin Otter aircraft |
Which Airlines Will Fly To Pangkor Island Airport?
From what I know, it is said that a new airline called SKS Airways will be flying to Pangkor Airport. The airline is part of the SKS Group, a Malaysian Australian hotel and property developer group.
SKS Airways will operate the Pangkor flights with a DCH-6 Twin Otter plane, a 19-seater turboprop aircraft.
Please note that the Twin Otter aircraft can usually take a maximum of 15 or 16 passengers due to the weight factor. Passengers need to weigh themselves and their luggage when checking in.
The airline also plans daily return flights from Subang Airport to Pangkor Airport. As for the flight time, there has yet to be an official announcement.
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| SKS Airways, a Malaysia-Australia group |
SKS Airways is also applying for a Subang to Ipoh flight, with two daily return flights, which is also scheduled to start on 1 October 2019.
Only SKS Airways will be flying to Pangkor from Subang, and there has been no news about any other airline flying there.
The main reason is the STOL runway, which can only cater to small turboprop aircraft like the Twin Otter, Dash 7 and ATR42-500.
Most other airlines in Malaysia that operate turboprop planes have the ATR72-500, which cannot land at a STOL airport.
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| The Berjaya Air Dash 7 aircraft used to fly to Pangkor Island. Photo Wikipedia. |
How Long Will It Take To Fly To Pangkor Island?
From Subang Airport, it takes 40 minutes flight to Pangkor Island one way. This is the average time when using the Dash 7 aircraft, formerly used by Berjaya Air.
SKS Airways is now using a Twin Otter plane, which may take 50 to 60 minutes due to the smaller aircraft size. But I am still determining the exact time it will take. This is just an estimate.
I have flown on the Twin Otter plane to various destinations in Sarawak, one of which is the Bakelalan Airport in the Sarawak Highlands.
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| Where the Pangkor Island Airport is located at |
Where Is Pangkor Island Airport?
The Pulau Pangkor Airport is located in the north part of the island and Teluk Dalam. The main airport building is along Jalan Pasir Bogak, the main road linking Teluk Dalam with Teluk Nipah.
Pangkor Island is small, and from the airport to Pangkor Town in the south, it only takes a 15-minute drive.
Those travelling to some of the hotels, resorts, and homestays on Pangkor Island will take you from a five to 20 minutes drive.
But if you plan to stay at Pangkor Laut Resort, you can fly in and then take a boat service to Pangkor Laut Island.
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| An aerial view of the Pangkor Island Airport near Teluk Dalam |
Conclusion
Since the news came out in late May 2019, many locals in Pangkor Island have been looking forward to reopening the airport.
This is a very positive move towards tourism on the island, and locals hope that direct flights to Pangkor Island will bring in more tourists.
The reopening of the Pangkor Airport also compliments the island becoming a duty-free island from 1 January 2020.
Pangkor Island now joins other duty-free islands in Malaysia that are highly popular among local travellers and also foreigners. Once the Pangkor Island Airport reopens, this should bring in more visitors.