By Brendon Beliku, Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Malaysia, writing independently on Sabah’s economic governance, labour policy, logistics, transport and regulatory affairs
KOTA KINABALU: On 7 November, a public forum organised by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Malaysia Sabah Section asked whether Kota Kinabalu International Airport should be retained, expanded or relocated. KKIA handled about 9 million passengers last year, with traffic growing at about 4.1 percent a year since 2005.
Expanding it with a second runway and a relief airport was estimated at RM10 billion to RM15 billion over six years.
A new airport was put at about RM10 billion over a similar period. The state plans an integrated transport and logistics masterplan study in 2027, and no decision has been made.
The debate is rightly about runways, land and money. But every option shares one requirement that concrete cannot meet. Whatever Sabah decides, it will need the people to run it.
-The Constraint No Option Removes-
An airport is air traffic controllers, licensed maintenance technicians, ground handlers, security staff, cargo operators and engineers.
At the forum, aviation consultant Edward Clayton noted that expansion needs more than runways, including terminals, stands, taxiways and air traffic management. Each depends on trained people.
Those people take time to produce. In Asia Pacific, training an air traffic controller can take up to 18 months, and some trainees still do not qualify. CANSO figures show 64 percent of controllers are now over 40, up from 50 percent in 2010. Aircraft maintenance follows a similar pattern.
The KKIP Aerospace Training Centre in Kota Kinabalu runs a programme of one year and nine months for its entry level licence, after which technicians need years of experience for senior roles.
The debate has not yet made a simple point. If the site decision comes after the 2027 study, and construction then takes around six years, the people who will staff the new or expanded airport are the young Sabahans who need to begin training now.
The workforce is the one part of the airport that does not depend on which site is chosen. It is the one investment Sabah can make today without regret.
-A Head Start, and a Leak-
Sabah is not starting from nothing. The KKIP Aerospace Training Centre was described at its launch as the first approved centre in Malaysia to offer dual CAAM and EASA approval for its category of aircraft maintenance training, with capacity for up to 250 students per intake and on-the-job training with local aviation partners. In 2025, AirAsia also announced plans to train Sabah youth, especially from lower income families, as pilots, engineers and technical crew.
The challenge is keeping that talent. When the training centre opened, it was reported that dual licence technicians could earn up to RM5,000 a month locally, while experienced technicians working in Dubai could start at about US$8,000 a month.
Aviation skills are recognised worldwide, which is both their value and their risk. If Sabah trains people before it creates the jobs to keep them, it will be training for other countries.
The opposite risk is just as real. The case for a new airport rests partly on new industries, including aircraft maintenance and repair, air cargo and cold chain exports, which were raised at the forum.
If those facilities open before local workers are ready, the senior roles will be filled the only way they can be, by bringing in specialists from outside. That is legitimate when skills are scarce, but the best paid jobs of a project built for Sabah may then not go to Sabahans.
Timing must match. Training that runs too far ahead of demand exports talent. Demand that runs too far ahead of training imports it.
-What the Masterplan Study Should Add-
The forum organisers will report expert views, public concerns and polling results to the government. Four further steps are offered for discussion.
First, count the existing workforce. Before choosing a site, Sabah should know how many people work in the KKIA ecosystem, what skills they hold, where they live and when they retire. This evidence matters as much as passenger forecasts.
Second, give aviation a workforce chapter in the 2027 masterplan study. For each option, the study should estimate the roles required, training lead times and a realistic local share.
Third, connect training to future jobs.
Programmes such as the KKIP Aerospace Training Centre and the AirAsia initiative should be linked to the maintenance, cargo and cold chain plans of any new or expanded airport, with placement commitments so that graduates have a reason to stay.
Fourth, plan for movement. If the airport is relocated, many workers and their families may face longer travel or a move. A workforce transition plan covering transport, housing and retraining should accompany the land plan.
The runway question will take years. The people question need not wait. For Sabahan youth looking for skilled work at home, the most useful decision about KKIA may be the one that can be made first.
[Disclaimer]: The views, opinions and analyses expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies or positions of the Jesselton Times, its editors, management or affiliated entities. This article is published for analytical and public discussion purposes and should not be construed as institutional commentary or endorsement. The views expressed are the author’s own and not those of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Malaysia.
