Wikipedia

Brunei International Airport

Brunei International Airport (BIA) (Malay: Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Brunei, Jawi: لاڤڠن تربڠ انتارابڠسا بروني ) (IATA: BWN, ICAO: WBSB[2]) is the primary international airport and official airport of entry; one of two airports in the Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam, on the island of Borneo.

Brunei International Airport

لاڤڠن تربڠ انتارابڠسا بروني

Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Brunei
Roadside exterior view of passenger terminal at Brunei International Airport, with approach roads in foreground.
Brunei International Airport (BIA)
passenger terminal
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerGovernment of Brunei / Royal Brunei Air Force
OperatorDepartment of Civil Aviation (Brunei)
ServesBrunei Darussalam
LocationBandar Seri Begawan,
Brunei-Muara District,
Brunei Darussalam
Opened1974; 50 years ago (1974)
Hub forRoyal Brunei Airlines
Built1970; 54 years ago (1970)
Time zoneBrunei Darussalam Time (BNT) (UTC+08:00)
Elevation AMSL22 m / 73 ft
Coordinates04°56′43″N 114°56′01″E / 4.94528°N 114.93361°E / 4.94528; 114.93361
WebsiteBrunei Int'l Airport (archived)
Maps
Brunei-Muara District in Brunei Darussalam
Brunei-Muara District in Brunei Darussalam
BWN / WBSB is located in Brunei
BWN / WBSB
BWN / WBSB
Location in Brunei Darussalam
BWN / WBSB is located in Borneo
BWN / WBSB
BWN / WBSB
BWN / WBSB (Borneo)
BWN / WBSB is located in Southeast Asia
BWN / WBSB
BWN / WBSB
BWN / WBSB (Southeast Asia)
BWN / WBSB is located in Asia
BWN / WBSB
BWN / WBSB
BWN / WBSB (Asia)
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
03/21 3,685[1] 12,090 Asphalt
Source: DAFIF[2][3]

Located near Bandar Seri Begawan in the Brunei-Muara District, it serves as the home base and hub for Royal Brunei Airlines (RB). Additionally, the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) is also headquartered at Royal Brunei Air Force Base, Rimba, which is located opposite the 3,685 by 46 metres (12,090 by 151 feet) main runway on the north-western side, within the aerodrome's environs. Brunei International Airport serves international destinations across Asia and Oceania, as well as flights to the Middle East and London Heathrow.[4]

History

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Commercial air transport in Brunei Darussalam began in 1953, with the establishment of air service links connecting Brunei Town (present-day Bandar Seri Begawan and capital city of Brunei) with Anduki (near the oil town of Seria) in the Belait District. Initial flights linking Brunei to British Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak, Singapore, and overseas destinations were primarily provided by Borneo Airways and Malayan Airways. Airport services were operated from the Berakas area at an old runway site built by the Japanese during World War II. It was known then as Brunei Airport.

The growth in popularity of air travel in the 1970s resulted in a significant increase in civil aviation. Suddenly, the old airport at Berakas was swamped with activity, operating beyond its capacity. This situation prompted the government to scout for a new site to build a modern international airport. The construction of a new airport began in 1970; 54 years ago (1970), in Mukim Berakas in the Brunei-Muara District, because this location was easily accessible from all areas of the country. The airport became operational in 1974,[1] and its runway was one of the longest runways in the far east.

In tandem with these developments, Royal Brunei Airlines, initially known as Royal Brunei, took flight on 14 May 1975; 49 years ago (1975-05-14), utilising the newly constructed Brunei International Airport as its hub. Founded on 18 November 1974, the airline marked its inception as a significant milestone in the burgeoning era of Brunei's aviation history.

Expansion

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In 2008, it was announced that a study to review necessary expansions and modifications was completed, and a masterplan was written up soon after.[5][6] The masterplan consisted of different phases, and Phase 1, which included upgrading the existing air-conditioned passenger terminal building and the cargo terminal, was targeted to be completed by end of 2013.[6] Phase 1A was already completed on 1 October 2013, with the opening of the new arrival hall. The capacity of the airport was to be increased to three million passengers by end of 2014. After Phase 1 was completed, Phase 2 was planned be initiated in 2022; this included the construction of a new terminal, which will be able to accommodate up to eight million passengers.[6] Currently,[when?] the runway is being upgraded to allow bigger aircraft such as Airbus A380 and Boeing 747 to operate more easily.[citation needed]

Facilities

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Inside the main terminal
 
Brunei International Airport Mosque, located within the terminal compound

Brunei International Airport consists of an international terminal which can handle up to three million passengers, a cargo terminal with a capacity of 50,000 tonnes (55,116 tons) of cargo, and a royal terminal where the sultan's flights are based. In 2005, Brunei International Airport handled 1.3 million passengers.[5] Inside the international terminal, there are 40 check-in counters, 12 emigration counters, and 14 immigration clearance counters.[1] Businesses inside the terminal include Burger King and KFC international fast-food outlets,[7] Jollibee regional fast food,[7] plus local 'concept stores' which include food, tea and coffee drinks, and jewellery stores, along with Avis car rental desk.[1]

It also includes a VIP Lounge for business travellers.[1] Brunei International Airport has car parking space for 1,440 cars, with a further 300 covered parking spaces.[1] Other facilities at BIA include a post office, bank, the Department of Civil Aviation (Brunei) (located within the air traffic control tower building), and the Brunei International Airport Mosque.

Access

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Brunei International Airport is located approximately 10 minutes from the centre of the capital.[clarification needed] Along with personal car rental options, there are regular taxi services to and from the airport, with a journey time of approximately 15 minutes.[8] There are also regular public bus services which go around the capital, taking approximately 30 minutes.[8] In 2009, taxi fares range from BND$10.00 to BND$20.00, and the bus fare was BND$2.00 (requiring exact fare only, as no change will be given).[8]

Airlines and destinations

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The following airlines operate regular scheduled services at Brunei International Airport:

AirlinesDestinations
AirAsiaKuala Lumpur–International
Cebu PacificManila
Indonesia AirAsiaJakarta–Soekarno-Hatta[9]
Royal Brunei AirlinesBalikpapan (resumes 19 February 2025),[10] Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Chennai,[11][12] Dubai–International, Hangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur–International, Kuching,[13] London–Heathrow, Manila, Melbourne, Nanning,[14] Seoul–Incheon, Shanghai–Pudong,[15] Singapore, Surabaya, Taipei–Taoyuan,[16] Tokyo–Narita[17][18]
Seasonal: Jeddah
Singapore AirlinesSingapore

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Brunei International Airport booklet – Going Further" (PDF). DCA.gov.bn. Department of Civil Aviation (Brunei), Brunei Darussalam. n.d. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Airport information for WBSB – Brunei Intl". WorldAeroData.com. World Aero Data. Archived from the original on 4 November 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) Data current as of October 2006. Source: DAFIF.
  3. ^ Airport information for BWN/WBSB at Great Circle Mapper.
  4. ^ "Royal Brunei Sep 2020 - Jan 2021 London operations as of 02Sep20". RoutesOnline.com. Routes Online, Informa PLC. 3 September 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Masterplan for Brunei Airport". BruDirect.com. BruneiDirect.Com. 18 October 2006. Archived from the original on 12 November 2006. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  6. ^ a b c "Masterplan study of Brunei International Airport". CPGCorp.com.sg. CPG Corporation. August 2008. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Airport guides – Brunei International Airport". FlyRoyalBrunei.com. Royal Brunei Airlines. 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  8. ^ a b c "Brunei International Airport: Guide". Civil-Aviation.gov.bn. Department of Civil Aviation. 2009. Archived from the original on 4 October 2009. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
  9. ^ "INDONESIA AIRASIA PLANS CAIRNS / BRUNEI AUGUST 2024 LAUNCH". Aeroroutes.com. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  10. ^ Liu, Jim (19 November 2024). "Royal Brunei Resumes Balikpapan Service From Feb 2025". AeroRoutes.
  11. ^ "Royal Brunei Schedules Chennai Nov 2024 Launch". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  12. ^ "RB commence first flight to Chennai, India on 5th November 2024". Royal Brunei Airlines. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Royal Brunei Airlines to resume flights to Kuching on May 1". The Borneo Post.
  14. ^ "Nanning reopens flights linking Nanning, Bandar Seri Begawan". en.gxzf.gov.cn. Guangxi China News. 31 August 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  15. ^ "Royal Brunei plans Shanghai service resumption in late-Oct 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  16. ^ "Royal Brunei resumes Taipei service from Jan 2023". Aeroroutes. 19 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Royal Brunei launches Tokyo flights, pushes back Changsha service". BusinessTraveller.com. Business Traveller. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  18. ^ "Royal Brunei adds Tokyo service from March 2019". RoutesOnline.com. Routes Online, Informa PLC. 26 September 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
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