KUCHING, June 7 — The new Kuching International Airport (KIA) will be modelled on the Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, Premier Minister Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg said here today.

He said the state government is engaging consultants, who may be involved in the airport construction in Doha, to develop the planning for the construction of the new KIA.

"The planning is expected to be completed within three years, and after which construction work will begin and how much the estimated costs will be known,” he told reporters.

He was asked after witnessing the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Innocement Sdn Bhd and PMW Industries Sdn Bhd on collaboration for the development of a manufacturing facility for the production of concrete products in Tanjung Manis in Sarikei Division.

Abang Johari said the state government proposed building a new international standard airport based on the state's long-term needs.

"We want Kuching to become a hub with the airport that is capable of handling 15 million arrivals a year.

"If we look at the development in South-east Asia, what we need is an airport with international standards equipped with the latest facilities including state-of-art information technology,” he added.

He stressed the airport will become one of the catalysts to spur the state’s economy, especially in terms of air connectivity that will boost the tourism industry.

"What I am saying is that we have two major projects in the pipeline that will expand our economy beyond 2030.

"One is an airport and another a deep sea port at Tanjung Embang in western Sarawak,” he said.

He said these two are strategic matters in the state government’s effort to make Kuching become a hub, saying that Sarawak is on the western part of Borneo which is along the shipping and flight routes from the east to the west.