Kuching International Airport
Kuching International Airport (Initialised: KIA) (IATA: KCH, ICAO: WBGG) is an international airport located just outside the city of Kuching.
The airport is collocated with the RMAF Kuching, home to the No. 7 Squadron RMAF.
The airport terminal is capable of handling five million passengers per annum and it is the fourth busiest airport in Malaysia.
In 2008, the airport was given a radical facelift making it mimic Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). The upgrade increased the floor area of the airport to 46,000 square metres, with the airport now having nine gates.
It’s apron and landing area able to accommodate aircrafts as huge as the Airbus A380-800 operations.
In 2019, the airport was upgraded slightly to feature a new restaurant area.
In 2023 – 2025, the airport will be upgraded to allow it to fit into Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad’s plan to make it airport 4.0.
What to expect
Despite being called an international airport, the airport itself is pretty calm and small.
This is largely due to that fact that the airport only serves a handful international destinations with most flights going to either Kuala Lumpur, Johor or Kota Kinabalu.
For arrivals at Kuching Airport
Arrivals at the Kuching International is generally pleasant. The plane get’s a gate relatively fast, and disembarking usually happens within minutes after the plane has arrived at the gate.
At the immigration counter, the Sarawak immigration usually opens almost all counters when there’s an arrival, making immigration check go through swiftly.
If you are a foreigner, pay attention to notices before you enter the immigration clearance as Sarawak controls its own immigration and may enforce immigration restrictions or law which are different from Malaysia.
Do also ensure you prepare your passport, and take off your head gear (like hats, caps and sunglasses) when approaching the counter.
Your bag will likely already be on the carousel belt when you head down to the baggage claim area.
For departures at Kuching Airport
It is important to note that domestic flights in Kuching Airport are for flights within Sarawak and go through the domestic gate on the left side of the airport.
For non domestic flights, or any flight that goes beyond Sarawak borders, you will enter through the International departure gate which is located just after the ticketting and baggage drop counters.
Once in, proceed to the immigration counters and walk through airport security which is on the left of the immigration counter. Be sure to remove your belt, watch and take out electronic devices from your bad when scanning them.
The gates for departure are on the lower floor after the security clearance with gate 1 – 4 on the left, and gate 5 to 9 on the right.
There is a food court near gate 1 – 4 if you want to eat something before the flight.
Below are some photos of the airport.
Parking at Kuching International Airport
There is a huge parking area for guest in front of the airport. Payment can be made in the airport building itself.
Where is Kuching Airport
The airport is located just a few minutes from the City of Kuching and getting there is possible by bus, and ride sharing services.
The map below will help you find the airport.
Other related articles
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