<h2 class="blog-hed2 pb-lg-4 pb-3 text-lg-center">History Kuching International Airport</h2>
<p class="blog-para">The airport was built by the British Government at the end of the 1940&rsquo;s and opened in September 1950.</p>
<p class="blog-para">The short runway of just 1,372 metres sat alongside a single storey terminal building, with a cluster of buildings nearby housing the fire station, cargo and maintenance departments and control tower. To aid landing and take-off directional finding equipment and radio systems were installed.</p>
<p class="blog-para">By late 1954 KIA was in demand and the figures from that year show 13,564 passengers and 1,550 aircraft movements.</p>
<p class="blog-para">By 1959 the runway was increased to 1,555 metres to accommodate the Viscount aircraft. Another 400 metres was added to the runway in 1962 when the de Havilland Comet 4 began flying to Malaysia and the terminal was extended in the same year.</p>
<p class="blog-para">In 1972 a Canadian team of consultants we engaged to make a Master Plan and in December 1972 this was accepted by the Malaysian government.</p>
<p class="blog-para">The consultants recommended reinforcing the runway to take larger aircraft as well as yet another extension to the length. The work on this was started in 1973 and by 1976 the improved runway had grown to 2,454 metres and was ready for the Boeing 707.</p>
<p class="blog-para">As aircraft were designed that were bigger and heavier than their predecessors by 1980 the runway was strengthened again. This was with the invention of the Airbus A320 and these works were completed by 1982.</p>
<p class="blog-para">The terminal that was started in 1978 was finally finished five years later in July 1983. The three storey passenger terminal on an 81 hectare site opened in August 1983. The airport is very neatly planned with the control tower, cargo and maintenance building, fire station and offices all arranged close to the terminal.</p>
<p class="blog-para"><strong>Transport Kuching International Airport </strong></p>
<p class="blog-para">There are no buses into the city from the airport. Taxis are available in the arrivals hall and a pre-paid coupon can be bought at the taxi desk.</p>
<p class="blog-para">Car hire is available at the airport either by pre-booking or making arrangements when you get to KIA.</p>
<p class="blog-para">Once you get into Kuching buses can be used to get around. Most of them are old, with no air-conditioning but they are cheap! The State Ministry of Tourism does provide a bus shuttle so tourists can see the city.</p>
<p><img class="img-fluid p-lg-0 rounded w-100" title="Kuching  Airport" src="../../main/img/airport/kuch/1.webp" alt="Kuching Airport" width="950px" height="500px"></p>