View source for Sultan Azlan Shah Airport

{{Short description|Airport in Kinta, Perak, Malaysia}}
{{use Malaysian English|date=May 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox airport
| name = Sultan Azlan Shah Airport
| image = Sultan Azlan Shah Airport.JPG
| nativename-r = Lapangan Terbang Sultan Azlan Shah
| IATA = IPH
| ICAO = WMKI
| type = Public
| owner = [[Khazanah Nasional]]
| operator = [[Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad]] (MAHB)
| city-served =  [[Ipoh]] and southern [[Perak]], [[Malaysia]]
| location = [[Ipoh]], Perak, Malaysia
| hub = 
| timezone = [[Time in Malaysia|MST]]
| utc = [[UTC+08:00]]
| elevation-f = 130
| coordinates = {{coord|04|34|09|N|101|05|35|E|region:MY|display=inline,title}}
| image_map = LocationMalaysia.svg
| image_map_caption = [[Perak]] State in Malaysia
| pushpin_map = Malaysia_Perak#Malaysia West#Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in [[Ipoh]], [[Perak]], [[Peninsular Malaysia]]
| pushpin_label = 
'''IPH'''/WMKI
| website = 
| metric-rwy = y
| r1-number = 04/22
| r1-length-m = 2,000
| r1-surface = Asphalt
| stat-year = 2023
| stat1-header = Passenger
| stat1-data =  517,160 ({{increase}} 54.8%)
| stat2-header = Airfreight (tonnes)
| stat2-data =  0 ({{nochange}}{{sort|09|}})
| stat3-header = Aircraft movements
| stat3-data = 25,181 ({{decrease}} 1.6%)
| footnotes = Source: MAHB Airport Statistics 2023 <ref>{{cite web |title=Airport Statistics 2023 |url=https://mahb.listedcompany.com/misc/ar/mahb_airport-state2023.pdf |publisher=Malaysia Airports |access-date=26 December 2024}}</ref><br />[[Aeronautical Information Publication|AIP]] Malaysia<ref name=AIP>[http://aip.dca.gov.my/aip%20pdf/AD/AD2/WMKI/WMKI-IpohIpoh%20Sultan%20Azalan%20Shah%20Airport.pdf WMKI – IPOH/IPOH SULTAN AZLAN SHAH] at Department of Civil Aviation Malaysia</ref>
}}

'''Sultan Azlan Shah Airport''' {{airport codes|IPH|WMKI}} is an airport serving the city of [[Ipoh]] in the [[Malaysia]]n state of [[Perak]]. Situated approximately {{convert|6|km}} from the city center, it ranks as the [[List of the busiest airports in Malaysia|15th busiest airport in Malaysia]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Total Passengers Handled by Airports, Malaysia, 2023 |url=https://www.mot.gov.my/my/Statistik%20Tahunan%20Pengangkutan/Statistik%20Pengangkutan%20Malaysia%202023.pdf |publisher=Ministry of Transport Malaysia |access-date=26 December 2024 |page=43}}</ref>

== History ==
=== History and Inception===
Ipoh Airport was originally planned to be developed in 1983 under the Fourth Malaysia Plan.<ref>{{cite news |title=$2.4 b master plan to develop airports |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19830520-1.2.57.3 |access-date=30 March 2024 |work=The Straits Times |date=20 May 1983}}</ref> During that period, the airport could only accommodate smaller aircraft such as the [[Fokker]] models.<ref name="ready">{{cite news |title=Ipoh's new airport terminal to be ready next month |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19890819-1.2.28.7 |access-date=30 March 2024 |work=The Straits Times |date=19 August 1989}}</ref> In response to rising air travel demand, a [[airport terminal|new terminal]] was proposed in late 1988, with an allocated budget of RM35 million.<ref name="to be" /> This expansion included runway extensions to support larger [[Boeing 737]] aircraft.<ref name="to be" /> The construction of these improvements was completed in August 1989, with the terminal expected to be operational by mid-September of that year.<ref name="to be">{{cite news |title=Ipoh airport to be improved |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19881030-1.2.26.6 |access-date=30 March 2024 |work=The Straits Times |date=30 October 1988}}</ref><ref name="ready" />

=== Decline in Passenger Demand===
During its peak, Ipoh Airport served a significant number of passengers, partly due to [[Malaysia Airlines]] operating services to and from the city. However, following the opening of the [[North–South Expressway (Malaysia)|North-South Expressway]], many travelers opted for alternative transportation methods, which offered more cost-effective options compared to air travel. Consequently, Malaysia Airlines and later [[AirAsia]] ceased their services from the airport. Additionally, with the introduction of [[KTM ETS|electric train services]] that provided direct links to [[Kuala Lumpur]], [[Malaysia Airports]] began to re-evaluate the financial sustainability of Ipoh Airport.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ipohecho.com.my/v2/2011/05/01/what-is-happening-to-ipoh-airport/|title=What is happening to Ipoh Airport? &#124; Ipoh Echo (Archives)}}</ref>

=== Revitalisation and Upgrades ===
To revitalise the airport, a new terminal building was constructed along with an extended runway at a cost of RM45 million. The runway was lengthened to {{convert|2,000| metres}} to allow operations by larger aircraft such as the Boeing 737 and [[Airbus A320 family|Airbus A320]] families. The new terminal featured expanded departure and arrival halls, full air-conditioning and an increased capacity to handle a larger volume of passengers.<ref>[http://ipohecho.com.my/v2/2013/01/15/zambry-checks-out-ipoh-airport/ Zambry Checks Out Ipoh Airport | Ipoh Echo (Archives)]. ''Ipoh Echo'' (15 January 2013).</ref>

Despite these upgrades, the runway was initially restricted to [[turboprop|turboprop aircraft]] due to the emergence of potholes shortly after construction.<ref>Malaysian, The. (6 April 2014) [http://news.malaysia.msn.com/tmi/rm45-million-wasted-in-ipoh-airport-upgrade-as-potholes-prevent-bigger-aircraft-landings RM45 million wasted in Ipoh airport upgrade as potholes prevent bigger aircraft landings – MSN Malaysia News]{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. News.malaysia.msn.com.</ref> Although the issue was resolved, similar runway maintenance issues recurred before being permanently addressed, allowing the runway to be used daily by various aircraft.<ref>[http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/ipoh-airport-ready-to-take-on-bigger-aircraft/ Ipoh airport ready to take on bigger aircraft | The Malay Mail Online]. Ipoh airport ready to take on bigger aircraft (10 July 2014).</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2017/05/236624/ipoh-airport-shut-down-after-sinkhole-appears-runway|title = Ipoh airport shut down after sinkhole appears in runway &#124; New Straits Times|date = 5 May 2017}}</ref>

=== Recent Services and Operations===
In September 2014, [[Firefly (airline)|Firefly]] resumed operations at Ipoh Airport with a route to [[Changi Airport|Singapore]], followed by [[Batik Air Malaysia|Malindo Air]] (now Batik Air Malaysia) in October 2014, which introduced routes to [[Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport|Subang]], [[Senai International Airport|Johor Bahru]] and [[Kualanamu International Airport|Medan]], [[Indonesia]]. [[Sriwijaya Air|Srivijaya Air]] also launched a route to Medan in November 2014, expanding the airport’s connectivity within the region.

In May 2015, [[Tigerair]], now [[Scoot]], began services to Ipoh, further enhancing its international reach. AirAsia resumed its Johor Bahru-Ipoh service in October 2018 and added a new routes to Singapore in December 2018 and [[Langkawi Airport|Langkawi]] in 2020. These additions strengthened Ipoh Airport’s position as a growing regional airport, offering more options for both domestic and international travel.

In May 2025, Airasia suspended the International route from Ipoh to Singapore, leaving Singaporean airlines company Scoot being the sole airlines company operating the Ipoh - Singapore route. The local state government has expressed strong dissatisfaction over this decision, citing that it might negatively impact tourism between the two countries.

=== Future Growth and Expansion Plans===
The Malaysian Government has explored relocation options for Ipoh Airport, constrained by surrounding residential areas that limit further expansion. Potential sites considered include areas farther from the city center, such as [[Seri Iskandar]] or [[Batang Padang District|Batang Padang]] near [[Tapah]], though no concrete actions have been implemented. Another proposal suggested utilizing Ipoh as a feeder airport, as it faces challenges competing with larger airports in [[Penang International Airport|Penang]] and [[Kuala Lumpur International Airport|Kuala Lumpur]]. While several airlines have expressed interest in adding routes to Ipoh, only Tigerair (now Scoot) has established operations.<ref>[http://www.thestar.com.my/Business/Business-News/2013/07/04/Tigerair-plans-to-expand-network-in-Malaysia.aspx Tigerair plans to expand network in Malaysia – Business News]. ''The Star'' (4 July 2013).</ref> Airlines from China and Indonesia have also indicated interest in future services.<ref>[http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/05/23/Ipoh-airport-eyeing-flights-from-Xiamen.aspx Ipoh airport eyeing flights from Xiamen – Nation]. ''The Star'' (23 May 2013).</ref>

In March 2017, the Perak state government announced plans to expand the terminal to increase passenger capacity. Additional upgrades, including an extension of the runway from {{convert|2|to|2.5|km}}, were anticipated the following year to better support larger aircraft and enhance connectivity. These improvements are aimed at making Ipoh Airport more competitive as a regional hub while addressing the space limitations of its current location.

==Airlines and destinations==
[[File:Malayan Airways Ipoh before 1963.jpg|thumb|A [[Malaysia–Singapore Airlines|Malayan Airways]] in Ipoh]]
[[File:(MYS-Perak) Scoot Airbus A320-232 9V-TRX @ WMKI 2024-01-04.jpg|thumb|[[Scoot]] Airbus [[Airbus A320 family|A320]] at Ipoh Airport, servicing the [[Changi Airport|Singapore]]-Ipoh route]]

===Passenger===
<!-- Please use independent sources, not the airport or airline as they are not independent. -->
{{Airport-dest-list
| [[AirAsia]] | [[Senai International Airport|Johor Bahru]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/airasia-start-jbalor-setar-jbipoh-flights-oct-1|title = AirAsia to start JB-Alor Setar, JB-Ipoh flights from Oct 1|date = 18 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/279721/airasia-adds-new-domestic-routes-from-johor-bahru-from-oct-2018/|title = AirAsia adds new domestic routes from Johor Bahru from Oct 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.feedme.com.my/airasia-launches-ipoh-johor-bahru-route-more-connections-to-perak-soon/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603062134/https://www.feedme.com.my/airasia-launches-ipoh-johor-bahru-route-more-connections-to-perak-soon|archive-date=Jun 3, 2020|title=AirAsia Launches Ipoh-Johor Bahru Route, More Connections to Perak Soon|date=July 13, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/btn20060105115924331/|title=Johor route for AirAsia &#124; News &#124; Breaking Travel News}}</ref>
| [[Scoot]] | [[Changi Airport|Singapore]]}}

==Traffic and statistics==
{| class="toccolours sortable" style="padding:0.5em"
|+ '''Annual passenger numbers and aircraft statistics'''
|-
! | {{center|Year}}
! | {{center|Passengers<br />handled}}
! | {{center|Passenger<br />% change}}
! | {{center|Cargo<br />(tonnes)}}
! | {{center|Cargo<br />% change}}
! | {{center|Aircraft<br />movements}}
! | {{center|Aircraft<br />% change}}
|- style="background:#eee;"
|2003||115,286||{{sort|10|{{nochange}}}}||498||{{sort|11|{{nochange}}}}||1,572||{{nochange}}11.88
|- style="background:#eee;"
|2004||103,123||{{decrease}}{{sort|06|10.6}}||735||{{increase}}{{sort|03|47.6}}||1,402||{{decrease}} 10.84
|- style="background:#eee;"
|2005||74,451||{{decrease}}{{sort|08|27.8}}||437||{{decrease}}{{sort|05|40.5}}||1,145||{{decrease}} 18.31
|- style="background:#eee;"
|2006||64,711||{{decrease}}{{sort|07|13.1}}||357||{{decrease}}{{sort|04|18.3}}||954||{{decrease}} 16.72
|- style="background:#eee;"
|2007||814||{{decrease}}{{sort|09|98.8}}||10||{{decrease}}{{sort|06|97.2}}||12||{{decrease}} 98.73
|- style="background:#eee;"
|2008||5,376||{{increase}}{{sort|01|560.4}}||0||{{decrease}}{{sort|07|100}}||183||{{increase}} 14252
|- style="background:#eee;"
|2009||21,937||{{increase}}{{sort|02|308.0}}||0||{{nochange}}{{sort|09|}}||384||{{increase}} 109.85
|- style="background:#eee;"
|2010||48,508||{{increase}}{{sort|03|121.1}}||0||{{nochange}}{{sort|10|}}||844||{{increase}} 119.84
|- style="background:#eee;"
|2011||71,169||{{increase}}{{sort|04|46.7}}||0||{{nochange}}{{sort|08|}}||1,536||{{increase}} 82.07
|- style="background:#eee;"
|2012||73,354||{{increase}}{{sort|05|3.1}}||34||{{increase}}{{sort|02|167.4}}||1,515||{{decrease}} 1.49
|- style="background:#eee;"
|2013||74,320||{{increase}}{{sort|10|1.3}}||403||{{increase}}{{sort|01|1091.4}}||1,464||{{decrease}} 3.45
|- style="background:#eee;"
|2014||98,768||{{increase}} 32.9||296||{{decrease}} 26.6||17,682||{{increase}} 1107.888
|- style="background:#eee;"
|2015||222,606||{{increase}} 125.4||318||{{increase}} 7.2||19,956||{{increase}} 12.98
|- style="background:#eee;"
|2016||269,696||{{increase}} 21.2||178||{{decrease}} 44.1||14,137||{{decrease}} 29.28
|- style="background:#eee;"
|2017||274,146||{{increase}} 1.7||105||{{decrease}} 40.8||10,910||{{decrease}} 22.89
|- style="background:#eee;"
|2018||315,673||{{increase}} 15.1||142||{{increase}} 35.1||10,369||{{decrease}} 5.0
|- style="background:#eee;"
|2019||457,231||{{increase}} 44.8||0||{{nochange}}{{sort|09|}}||12,170||{{increase}} 17.4
|- style="background:#eee;"
|2020||100,585||{{decrease}} 78.0||0||{{nochange}}{{sort|09|}}||15,511||{{increase}} 27.5
|- style="background:#eee;"
|2021||35,145||{{decrease}} 65.1||0||{{nochange}} ||16,658||{{increase}} 12.7
|- style="background:#eee;"
|2022||334,165||{{increase}} 850.8||0||{{nochange}} ||25,595||{{increase}} 53.6
|- style="background:#eee;"
|2023||517,160||{{increase}} 54.8||0||{{nochange}}{{sort|09|}}||25,181||{{decrease}} 1.6
|- style="background:#eee;"
|-
| colspan="7" style="text-align:right;"| <sup>''Source: [[Malaysia Airports|Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad]]''<ref>{{cite web|date=|title=Malaysia Airports: Airports Statistics 2020|url=http://annualreport2020.malaysiaairports.com.my/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/airportstatistics2020.pdf|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=5 October 2021|publisher=Malaysia Airports}}</ref></sup>
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" align="center" style="font-size:89%"
|+ '''Busiest flights out of Sultan Azlan Shah Airport by frequency'''
|- style="background:darkgrey;"
! |Rank|| |Destinations|| |Frequency (weekly)|| |Airlines
!Note
|-
|1
|{{flagicon| Singapore}} [[Singapore Changi Airport|Singapore]] 
| align="right" |28
| align="right" |Airasia, Scoot
|AirAsia will suspend its operations by April 2025.
|-
|2
|{{flagicon|Johor}} [[Senai International Airport|Johor Bahru]], Johor
| align="right" |9
| align="right" |Airasia
|
|-
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Portal|Aviation}}
* {{Commons category-inline|Sultan Azlan Shah Airport}}
* [http://www.malaysiaairports.com.my/index.php?ch=17&pg=55&ac=178 Sultan Azlan Shah Airport, Ipoh] at [[Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080202051659/http://www.disini.net/info/gis/main/detail.asp?iPro=534&iType=54 Location Map of Sultan Azlah Shah Airport]
* {{NWS-current|WMKI}}
* {{ASN|IPH}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100323031724/http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/20nasas/Article/index_html New Ipoh Airport Strategy,NST Online,17/03/2010]

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{{Airports in Malaysia}}
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[[Category:Airports in Perak]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Ipoh]]