# Aviation infrastructure developments in East Malaysia > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/aviation-infrastructure-developments-in-east-malaysia > Updated: 2026-10-06T06:31:32.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 2. In Sabah, political leader Jeffrey Kitingan has proposed the construction of a new international airport, specifically suggesting the Papar-Kimanis area. This proposal aims to mitigate risks caused by the single-runway vulnerability at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA), which recently caused flight disruptions during maintenance. Kitingan also suggested studying the feasibility of a second runway at the existing KKIA site, while the federal government has maintained that its priority is optimizing current capacity rather than building a new facility. In Sarawak, regional authorities are pursuing a strategy to establish Kuching as a major ASEAN aviation hub. This long-term vision includes the development of a new international airport at Tanjung Embang, designed to serve as a regional transit point. To support this connectivity, the state is investing in a local airline, AirBorneo, and expanding the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching to facilitate increased tourism, business, and medical travel. ## Timeline ### 2026-10-06: Kuching aims to become an ASEAN aviation hub Sarawak plans to transform Kuching into an ASEAN aviation hub through a new international airport, the launch of AirBorneo, and expanded regional flight connections to Asia and East Asia. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/kuching-aims-to-become-an-asean-aviation-hub ### 2026-09-20: Jeffrey Kitingan calls for new Sabah international airport STAR president Jeffrey Kitingan is urging the construction of a new international airport in Sabah to mitigate the economic and operational risks of Kota Kinabalu International Airport's single-runway reliance. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/jeffrey-kitingan-calls-for-new-sabah-international-airport --- Cite as: Aviation infrastructure developments in East Malaysia. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/aviation-infrastructure-developments-in-east-malaysia