The Sultanate of Brunei is a small state in Southeast Asia. The population of the kingdom does not reach half a million people. Despite this, since the 1990s, tourism in the state began to develop at a rapid pace. It is from these years that the air gate of Brunei began to accept a large passenger flow, which could not be compared with the number of flights providing domestic and Asian passenger transportation.
Airport History
The international airport and commercial aviation of Brunei have a relatively short history of development. It began in 1953, when regular flights began between the capital of the Sultanate, the city of Bandar Seri Begawan and the Belayt province. Prior to that, the runway, built by the Japanese air force during the Second World War, was used only for military purposes and was rather worn out. The runway, built by the Japanese armed forces, did not meet the standards for receiving international flights.
Despite this, several years later, regular flights to neighboring Malaysia were established. A new period in the development of the international airport of Brunei began in the 1970s, when the old air harbor practically ceased to cope with the number of tourists and the increased number of flights. The government decided to build a new airport that meets international standards. So in 1974 a new international airport was opened with a modern runway. A new harbor was built in the suburbs of the capital, while a convenient transfer was arranged.
Brunei - Airport Today
The modern period of the development of the international airport of the Brunei sultanate is characterized by the construction of a new passenger terminal, the capacity of which is two million passengers per year, the reconstruction of the cargo terminal and the construction of an individual terminal for the Sultan of Brunei.
The new runway has a length of 3700 m, it is covered with a particularly strong asphalt, which takes into account the peculiarities of the country's wet climate. Today, excellent transport links are established between the capital of the kingdom and the airport. The transfer is carried out by dozens of city routes and taxis. Due to the close location of the airport to the capital, the prices for transportation are quite low.
In 2008, a decision was taken on the newest reconstruction of the airport, which will begin with the modernization of the passenger terminal. The completion of the reconstruction is planned in 2010. According to this, the airport will be able to receive up to eight million international tourists a year.