When I flew over to the peninsula at the beginning of the month, I had the opportunity to use the brand new Sibu airport…
It had its soft opening on the 31st of July and is expected to be fully completed by September, next month.
It is really huge and spacious, unlike the old one, and fully air-conditioned so one would not have to suffer in the heat any longer when going somewhere or sending someone off…
or while waiting for someone to arrive…
I saw a lot of people on Facebook expressing their delight that finally, this little town has a very nice airport but as expected, there were all those very negatively-inclined people who would criticise everything under the sun, grumbling and complaining about everything with a whole lot of finger-pointing and accusations left, right and centre. I suppose for people like those, nothing that you do would be good enough and they would always have something to say. Frankly, I really wonder how these people’s minds function and why they are that way.
When you are looking for flaws in every little thing, I am sure you will always find some and the thing is you are the one who will end up unhappy. Why sweat the small stuff? Be thankful, appreciate every little thing, every little blessing that comes our way…and I’m sure our lives would be a whole lot less miserable. For instance, there was a comment that there was only one lift…
…but then again, who would want to use the lift when there’s the escalator right beside it? Duh!!! If I am not mistaken, that lift is meant for those passengers with special needs like those on wheelchairs.
Then I saw one comment saying that it isn’t an international airport and there aren’t any flights to Singapore or abroad. I wonder how big they think (if they have the capacity to do so, that is) the population of Sibu is…and how many passengers there would be on those flights. Business is business and if there is money involved, lots of it especially, I am sure the people concerned would fight tooth and claw to come here and grab your dough! What do you expect? Charity? Dream on, my friend, dream on!
And don’t talk about tourism in Sibu, don’t talk about there being nobody coming here – ask yourselves what the town has to offer, what you have done to make things here nice and attractive enough so that there would be people who would want to come. Everytime you open your mouth, it would only be to criticise and shoot yourselves in the foot and people would actually believe this town is a whole lot of crap. Who, in their right minds, would be foolish enough to make a trip here then?
A town or a place is like an individual – it is not what is outside, the physical but what or how you feel about yourself inside and how you are able to project that to others. Just as in the case of the airport, if you are negatively-inclined and going all out to find faults, those would be exactly what you will find.
Anyway, to get back to the new airport, this is a section of the departure lounge and an exit to the boarding gates…
The air bridge is not ready for use yet, I think but it did not matter as now, there is an escalator for passengers to use to get to the ground floor and proceed to the aircraft from there. I also noticed that there is a lift as well by the side of this particular escalator. So who says that there is just one lift at the new airport? Tsk! Tsk!
All in all, I would say that the new airport is very nice, maybe a bit too big for a small town like Sibu but time passes and maybe someday, we would need such a big one to cope with the traffic, who knows? For one thing, I do hope that the authorities will pay special attention to the maintenance – checking and making sure that everything is in tip-top shape…and taking pains to see that the toilets are always dry and clean. Knowing what the people here are like, despite all the efforts made by the parties concerned, I am afraid that more often than not, the conditions of the toilets would not be quite satisfactory at any time of day. It certainly would be a step in the right direction if everyone can work on changing their toilet habits first (and at the same time, their littering as well) but I really do not see that happening at all…ever. As they say, old habits die hard.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
Nice! It is finally complete! 🙂
The last time I went back to Sibu it still wasn’t done yet, construction was going on and we had to walk in through the side with those plywood covers over the construction and deafening noise.
Good to see that it’s done! It looks nice and clean, kinda looks a bit like LCCT in some of the photos. Glad to know that I’ll not have to detour during arrival and departure when I come back. 🙂
Eyewwww!!! Not the godown LCCT!!! This one is a whole lot nicer. I can’t stand that LCCT – worse than the old Sibu airport – when I was there last, the toilet was flooded…and the paper towels filled the dustbin to the brim and were scattered all over the floor. They must have cleaners going round to check regularly PLUS the people concerned should make an effort to use the toilets properly. It is really disgraceful – like we’re living in some under-developed, uncivilised Third World country. I certainly hope they would make sure that nothing of the sort happens here. What a bad impression that would give to visitors from elsewhere!
Wow! I’m amazed with the new renovated airport. Lots had changed over the last 7 months. Hehe..
Yes, they’re very fast…not like the Penang airport. I went in November or December one year, it was a mess…and I went in April the following year, it was still a mess…and a friend blogged about it a year or so later and it was still not completed. I certainly hope they’ve got it all done by now…. Anybody can update me on this?
I was there last month. Renovation is still on going.
Good grief! They’re certainly taking their sweet time. I was there in Nov or December, 2010…they were working on the arrival level – such a mess…and the worst part was we could push our trolley up to the end of the covered path and then we would have to carry our luggage all to way to where the taxis were, quite a distance away. Now, if one had many bags, how on earth would he be able to do that? Leave some behind and come back for them later? They certainly would not be there anymore, I’m sure. At least, the taxi drivers should wait there to help passengers with their bags. It was terrible really!
I appreciate this new airport very much. It’s a big improvement to Sibu, I would say. The old one is already looks so run down. Ppl always criticise this and that. Bcos its easy for them to just open their mouth and say as much as they like.
I did not really have a problem with the old one – not nice but at least, it was good enough for us to go in and out, no complaints…except that on festivals like raya and Chinese New Year, it would be so terribly congested, there would be hardly space to stand or move…and for most part, it was not air-conditioned except for departure…and that too was not cold at all.
WOW!! that’s the new Sibu airport?? it’s very nice!! looks a lot nicer than LCCT, it somehow resembles the architecture and design of KLIA i would say.. how nice!! and so does that motivates you to fly more often?? hehe~~
It definitely is nicer than LCCT and a whole lot more comfortable and cool. Can’t stand that LCCT, like Puduraya bus station – no class at all. Well, I was ok with the old airport…not the best but it served its purpose. Having a new one does not change things for me – will see when Vincent Tan will see it fit to sponsor me again…and I’ll be on my way. Not that somebody would bother to drop by to see me and say hello though, I”m sure… 😦 Hehehehehehehe!!!
What camera you use to take your pictures? I must say the photos in your blog are all very nice and sharp.
The same Canon iXus digicam… It’s good enough for me, being not a professional in any way. It’s not that I want to praise myself but frankly, I see photos in some blogs, taken using DSLRs no less…and they really suck big time, not nice at all. Dunno if it has got anything to do with using blogspot or wordpress but my photos are anytime a whole lot better.
wow…so nice and grand already! When we left Sibu, it was still under renovation, only one side was being utilized… now it looks enormous…
Yes, it was such a mess then. Everything ok now… Time for you all to come again… 🙂
Wow the airport looks really big and nice! Well done! Just like you, let’s hope that people appreciate the work done and more importantly, maintain the cleanliness of it so that more people will visit and fall in love with Sibu! 🙂
Yes, it really needs a joint effort from all concerned. Many people here, or Malaysians in general, take things for granted – they expect others to clean up their mess. Sure there may be people employed to do that but that is a very wrong attitude. Real sad to see, really…
Not bad Sibu has such a nice airport, big & spacious. So much development now. Hope everyone will co-operate to keep it clean.
Fingers crossed… Hopefully, everyone will co-operate.
I’ve read somewhere that LCCT was built for low-cost carriers only (hence its name). But just because someone thinks that it is not an international airport like KLIA doesn’t mean that cleanliness and management has to be sacrificed.
Anyway, Sibu Airport looks many thousand times better than LCCT, and I really hope that it will be properly managed and maintained. The people behind both airports should really take a peek at those running and managing Changi for inspiration and guide. I’m sure it will help in many ways.
I was told that LCCT was built mainly for Air Asia but the airline has grown way too fast for that small airport so it is no longer able to cope anymore. Hence, we have the construction of the new KLIA2 which supposedly would be able to cater to the heavy traffic but I’ve no idea when that will be completed. All these airports are run by Malaysia Airports and passengers pay airport taxes for the services. Sometimes, these taxes cost more than the airfare, mind you…(and I can imagine how high the rental is for all those airport shops – that’s why EVERYTHING is soooo expensive!!!) so there is no excuse for Malaysia Airports to do such a shoddy job.
It is not very fair to compare to Changi as it is such a busy airport and the taxes…and also the money collected from airlines to use the services would be really a lot (they pay to land and take off, to use the aerobridge and for the time spent at the airport etc…etc…etc…)…so they are definitely more financially capable to do impressively better (plus the people using that airport are not like those here…especially the ones using LCCT, if you catch the drift).
Well, LCCT is almost history now…so when the new one is in use, hopefully, the place will not be so crowded and stuffy/hot, there will be seats for people, the toilets will be well-maintained and clean and the whole place will not be infested by flies.
The old airport..the one near the cemetery as well as at the current location holds so much sweet memories of me flying with my mum. To me, the airport holds such a deep sentimental value.
The old one served the people of Sibu for many many years. I do think the current one is a bit too far from the town centre though but I guess eventually, the road would be busier and it will not feel that bad.
Looks like an international airport to me….
I thought sibu was those ulu ulu places….. Lol..
See! Now you know it isn’t… You’re not on Facebook, unfortunately – otherwise you can see my whole album of the sights in Sibu town. Nicer than many places in the peninsula, I tell you. Don’t play-play…and the food here too! Just ask kucing or those who came not too long ago.
Now where have you been? No update in your blog? I thought 7th Month, you can’t go anywhere, just stay at home. Fuifui keeping you occupied kah? Wink! Wink!
I m spending most of my time with Fui Fui..
Just give those Internet a break… But occasionally I will sneak and online a bit… So how is raya in Sibu?
Quiet or fill with lots of ppl come back for holiday?
I dunno. Did not go out at all. Too lazy to dress up nicely…and go house to house to eat and drink, smile pasted on face at all times, engaging in small talk… Hmmmm…queen control, eh? Demanding for quality time…. Any success with what you two are doing yet? Hehehehehehe!!!!
wow the airport looks spanking new. Hopefully they’ll maintain it properly. You know la… Malaysians only good at building but cannot maintain.
…and the general public are good at taking things for granted and abusing too…..always expecting others to clean up the mess after them.
Certainly look very good as compared to the last round we went.
That time in the midst of construction, what do you expect? Now, ready already…can come again!
The airport certainly looks very impressive. We were there in October last year and it’s finished now? Sarawak government must have loads of money to push the project through fast. Talking about toilets, even KLIA’s are pretty bad. Cracked and broken toilet bowls, flooded floor ( very wet ) and generally very tired looking. Also I noticed the funny smell. I’m not sure if it’s the fragrance that they use or just that the toilet smells bad.. Lol! I say this as I noticed that almost all the public toilets in Malaysia smell like that… must be the fragrance lah I think. If KLIA can’t keep up their maintenance, what hope is there that LCCT will!
I did notice that they have done something to spruce up the toilets at KLIA, nice decor and all that…and there would be somebody stationed in them. The moment you walk out, he would walk in…probably to check that you have not made a mess…and I must say that they’re the most unhappy looking people I’ve seen. Imagine visitors from abroad – they’d think Malaysians are so unfriendly.
The toilets inside the departure lounge have never been a problem – always clean, Just avoid those right next to an arrival gate where a plane has just landed…or at least, don’t go in immediately after the mad scramble. Give the cleaners time to clean up before you go on. Smell? What smell? Disinfectant? Or there is somebody in one of the booths doing his/her business? Luckily, you do not get to go into the gents with me inside – you’d probably faint!!! Muahahahahaha!!!!!
Ooh, brand spanking new. There’s a saying in Spanish that goes, “every new broom sweeps well.” It kind of means that you need to give things the test of time to show their true worth. Hope Sibu airport stands the test of time.
Yup…the old one did not fare too badly for many years – just that it was too old already and lacking in so many ways…and towards the end, I think when they knew they were going to get this new one done, it was left in a sad state of neglect.
Look great aye! I remembered how KKIA get renovated and seems nicer than KLIA! 😛
Yes, KK’s new one opened in 2008: https://suituapui.wordpress.com/2008/09/12/on-my-own/
I hope it’s busier now. When I was there, there were hardly any people around – and sooooo cold, like a mortuary. Love the space-age sci-fi design…and some people were saying the Sibu’s new airport copied KK’s a bit – the exterior and I do agree there’s one part that looks similar.
Actually, Sibu airport caters to the entire central region. Sarikei, Kapit & etc. Not just Sibu.
I was there today & it’s a big improvement from the previous one. Toilets are already f***ed up! I had to do big business & there was no hose! STOLEN! hahahaha~~~
Oh dear!!! Go to the airport information counter and complain. Well, if it’s stolen, then blame the people… Somehow I am not in the least surprised knowing the kind of people we have around here. Negative AND selfish…AND destructive.
wuah…looking very grand right now 🙂 i’m so proud of my mafia town! 🙂 pardon my complaint, not a complaint either. just want to relate my experience. the toilets in departure hall: the women’s. the toilets are slightly lower than the standard type, so much so it is half squatting when answering the call of nature. the moment i got up, my legs were cramped and i needed wheelchair assistance in order to get to the plane. 😛
The new one? And you have some problem with your legs, haven’t you? Oh dear….. Come to think of it, do they have disabled toilets? If not, then you should put forward a request to the authorities for that. A must-have, I would say…but in Sibu, if we have one, I think I lot of people will just take the liberty of using it as well…like those parking spaces for the disabled – I think they are all mentally-disabled, that’s why they do that with no second thoughts whatsoever.
I wanted to use the disabled toilet, but seeing that the Rela men kept on checking out all the toilets: Disabled, Women’s and Men’s every 5 to 10 minutes. I don’t know why, for some security reasons? Since there is no latch in the disabled toilet, so… i don’t want to risk being flashed 😛
Aiyor!!! Why no latch in disabled toilets? Eyewwww!!!! I guess they have to check regularly to make sure no mentally-disbaled people inside…like those parking spaces. I saw police officers issuing summons to all cars parked along yellow lines but they did not bother to summon those, just pretended they did not see and walked past. Tsk! Tsk!
humans are really judgemental and never satisfied! Oh well, its nice to see someone embrace something for what it is… its quite sad we never looked at the positive but only rather at the negative… just my two cents worth, the airport looked really nice and well spaced! I would love to visit Sibu… =)
Come on over! Most welcome, anytime… Just let me know when you’re coming and I’ll arrange everything on this side…like the last time a big group came to town – 9 of them! It was so much fun and they had a great time…eating! LOL!!! 😀
Who can afford to complain for a nice new airport?! We’re even very happy to have an airport built in our nearby city last year (instead of going farther to the capital)… even though just AFTER a few months, part of the new airport roof collapsed due to heavy snow…still grateful for not sitting under that roof…and at least there’s somewhere else to sit to wait for our aeroplane.. to GET AWAY ..Quick! Hey! You’ve got it good in Malaysia!
That’s so very true…but some people are so blind that they just cannot see how blessed we are.
Wahhh….after 4 months. totally different now. Last time sweating in the departure hall…LOL!!
So you can come again now… No more sweating. LOL!!!
WOW!! It sure look very nice and huge! I can said it is a lot a lot better than LCCT and it look classy!! Finally we got a nice airport in Sibu. 🙂
Definitely. Better than Miri or Bintulu airports too. Very nice, really.
Hi, thanks for the tour, very nice airport. Excellent click, all very well taken.
Have a nice day.
Hopping over anytime soon? I think there are direct flights from where you are – JB, right? Air Asia – try and grab the cheap promo fares. You’ll love it here, I assure you!
Spanking new look…looking forward to my trip next year 😀
You’re coming next year? When?: Welcome! Welcome! Just let me know when the time draws near…
Wah wah wah… i remember the old and heaty airport that we went to last time.. where we bumped into Chong Chieng Jen.. muahahaha..
now this new airport makes me wanna go to Sibu again.. one day.. hehehe..
Come on over…and do make sure that I will be around this time so that I can take to to eat THE BEST in town. Come, come…bring your friends too.
I am glad it is completed and it looks very nice.
It is very nice. Hope they maintain it well. Airports and public places, I know that they tender out jobs like general cleaning to private companies but they must check all the time – if not good, must give to other people but sadly, sometimes, it all depends on whose pockets get filled – all happy, all close their eyes lor.