Brunei International Airport
Encyclopedia
Brunei International Airport (Malay: Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Brunei; (Jawi): لاڤڠن تربڠ انتارابڠسا بروني ) is the primary airport
in the nation of Brunei
. The Royal Brunei Air Force
is also based at the Rimba Air Base which is located in the Brunei International Airport. It serves destinations across Asia
and Oceania
, with the only airport outside these continents being London Heathrow Airport
.
with Anduki
in the Belait District
. Initial flights to Malaysia were made to accommodate travellers from Labuan
in Sabah
and Lutong
in Sarawak
. Airport services were operated from the Berakas area at an old runway
site built by the Japan
ese during World War II
. It was known then as the Brunei Airport.
The growth in popularity of air travel in the '70s resulted in a significant increased in the civil aviation movement. Suddenly, the old airport was swamped with activity, operating beyond its capacity. This prompted the government
to scout for a new site to build a modern airport.
A new airport was constructed in Mukim Berakas in the Brunei-Muara District, because it was easily accessible from all areas of the country
. The airport became operational in 1974 and opened Brunei to the world
.
After Phase 1 is completed, Phase 2 could be initiated in 2020, which includes the construction of a new terminal, which will be able to accommodate up to 8 million passengers.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
in the nation of Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
. The Royal Brunei Air Force
Royal Brunei Air Force
The Royal Brunei Air Force or Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei as it is known by its Malay name, is the air force of the sultanate of Brunei. It is mainly based at the Rimba Air Base within the Brunei International Airport...
is also based at the Rimba Air Base which is located in the Brunei International Airport. It serves destinations across Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
, with the only airport outside these continents being London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
.
History
Commercial air transport in Brunei began in 1953, with the establishment of air service links connecting Bandar Seri BegawanBandar Seri Begawan
Bandar Seri Begawan, with an estimated population 140,000 , is the capital and largest city of the Sultanate of Brunei...
with Anduki
Seria
Seria is a town in the Belait District of Brunei Darussalam. Its full name is Pekan Seria in full . Seria was originally known as Padang Berawa which is Wild Pigeon's Field in Malay. The name "Seria" comes from the river located very near where oil was first discovered in the area in 1929...
in the Belait District
Belait District
Belait is the largest district in Brunei, as well as the western-most. The word 'Belait' is taken from the name of the native inhabitants of Belait, the Belait People. The district is administered from the town of Kuala Belait, its capital. Belait is governed by an appointed District Officer. The...
. Initial flights to Malaysia were made to accommodate travellers from Labuan
Labuan
Labuan is a federal territory in East Malaysia. It is an island off the coast of the state of Sabah. Labuan's capital is Victoria and is best known as an offshore financial centre offering international financial and business services via Labuan IBFC since 1990 as well as being an offshore support...
in Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
and Lutong
Miri
Miri is a city in northern Sarawak, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It is the second largest city in Sarawak, with a population of about 300,000, and the government administrative centre of Miri District in Miri Division....
in Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
. Airport services were operated from the Berakas area at an old runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
site built by the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was known then as the Brunei Airport.
The growth in popularity of air travel in the '70s resulted in a significant increased in the civil aviation movement. Suddenly, the old airport was swamped with activity, operating beyond its capacity. This prompted the government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
to scout for a new site to build a modern airport.
A new airport was constructed in Mukim Berakas in the Brunei-Muara District, because it was easily accessible from all areas of the country
Country
A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...
. The airport became operational in 1974 and opened Brunei to the world
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
.
Present
The airport consist of an international terminal which can handle up to 2 million passengers, a cargo terminal with a capacity of 50,000 tonnes of cargo and a royal terminal where the His Majesty Sultan's Flight is based at. In 2005, Brunei International Airport handled 1.3 million passengers.Future
In 2008, it was announced that a study to review necessary expansions and modifications was completed, and a masterplan was written up soon after. The master plan consists of different phases, and Phase 1, which includes upgrading the existing passenger terminal building and the cargo terminal, is targeted to be completed by 2013. At the moment, Phase 1A was already completed at the end of 2009.After Phase 1 is completed, Phase 2 could be initiated in 2020, which includes the construction of a new terminal, which will be able to accommodate up to 8 million passengers.
Airlines and destinations