Airports get Aerodrome Certification

KOTA KINABALU: Three airports in Sabah – the Kota Kinabalu International Airport and the Tawau and Sandakan airports – have been awarded the Aerodrome Certification by the Department of Civil Aviation, making them some of the first airports in the country to be so honoured.

The award certifies that the airports have been audited and meet the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) with respect to facilities, equipment and operational procedures.

The three, plus the Lahad Datu and Labuan airports, have also been awarded MS ISO 9001: 2000 Quality Management System certification by Sirim QAS International.

This certification covers management, operations and maintenance including for fire and rescue services, aviation security, engineering and general operations.

Disclosing this here on Wednesday, MAB chairman Tan Sri Dr Aris Othman said international certification for airports is necessary to convince users of their safety and service standards.

As these airports are the main gateways for tourists into the state, their staff have to provide the best possible service to travellers and airlines, including having efficient standard operating procedures, he said.

He was speaking at a Malaysia Airports loyal service awards night, held at a hotel here, for Sabah and Sarawak employees who have served over 25 years.