Bebuling Short Take-Off and Landing Airport in Spaoh, Betong has completed its first trial landing, bringing the rural facility closer to service while leaving the commercial launch date open.
A Super King 300 aircraft landed at the newly completed STOLport on Friday after departing Kuching at 10am. The trial was described as smooth, but further discussions on safety, operations and maintenance must be completed before licensing and commercial operations are finalised.
The RM248.03 million facility has a runway of about 1.19km and is designed to support passenger flights as well as cargo linked to agriculture and other local industries. A Kuching-Bebuling flight is expected to take about 15 minutes, compared with roughly three hours by road to Betong.
The trial is therefore a readiness milestone, not an announcement of scheduled flights. The next public detail to watch is the licensing and safety approval process.