Brunei eyes PPP for airport upgrade
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN - The Ministry of Communications (MinComm) is looking to use public-private partnership (PPP) to make the Brunei International Airport on par with the best in the world.
“Interior refurbishment of the Brunei International Airport will need to be done to make it one of the best in the world,” Mustappa Sirat said at yesterday’s 12th Legislative Council (LegCo) meeting, in response to claims that the airport facilities are inadequate to meet the needs of modern travellers.
The minister said the Department of Civil Aviation will use the criteria and benchmarks set by the Sky Track World Airport Award to make the Brunei airport among the best in the world. The award is one of the largest customer-based awards in the airport industry.
Mustappa said the early stages of some facilities are being designed. These cilities include retail shops, food courts, a transit hotel and business centres. The minister said the government has so far spent BN$164 million (US$118 million) for the airport’s upgrade.
“Everything is designed to be held under PPP in line with the government’s pro-business policy,” he said.
He said operators for shops, restaurants and other retail outlets have been appointed through the tender process and will begin work in the near future. The results of the tender to manage the transit hotel and related services will also be out as soon as possible.
He said the ministry is conducting two projects - a runway rehabilitation project and the aviation revelatory advice project organised by the UK Civil Aviation Authority. The two projects will cost approximately BN$114 million (US$182 million) over two years.
The ministry is also looking at establishing a public transportation system which connects the airport to the city centre.
He said a smoking suite has been identified in the airport but he noted Brunei has laws and regulations that regulate smoking in public buildings and government under the Tobacco Act. He will still discuss with other agencies if the site can be exempted from this regulation as the airport has to cater to travellers who transit in the sultanate.
During yesterday’s legislative council session, Awang Abdul Rahman said airport facilities are inadequate despite the completion of the modernisation project in 2014. These include the lack of a transit hotel and a smoker’s room.
