The opening of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in 1965 by His Majesty the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong completes a further stage in the 2nd 5-Year Development Plan being undertaken by the Government of Malaysia.
The new Airport is connected to Kuala Lumpur 14 miles away by a fast motorway which takes 20 to 30 minutes.
The opening of the new Airport means that all Air Lines will be able to include Kuala Lumpur in their schedules and it is expected that this modern Airport will become a focal point for all traffic between the East and West.
The civil engineering works were designed by the Headquarters staff of the Public Works Department who have accomplished a project of which they can be justly proud. It has been designed to incorporate modern airport development and will cater for all existing types of aircraft which may appear in the foreseeable future.
The site is ideal as there are no large obstructions in the vicinity and the orientation of the runway fits in perfectly with the main prevailing winds from the South-West and North-East. The site preparation involved the removal of a village to a new location, the clearing of 500 acres of rubber trees and the excavation of some 6.5 million cubic yards of soil.
The runway and the parallel taxiway have been constructed by Messrs. Gammon-Hawaiian Dredging-Pomeroy. The pavement comprises a layer of lime stabilized soil on the formation and bitumen bound bases and wearing surface, this type of construction being the first of its kind in this part of the world. The total area of paving is 550,000 sq. yds. A major problem in this country, with its high rainfall, is drainage and 8.5 miles of piped drains and 14.5 miles of open drains had to be provided. All areas outside those paved are turfed and amounts to 2,000,000 sq. yds. The airport complex covers 54 acres and is surrounded by a fence.
Both approaches are provided with centerline and bar lighting together with circling guideline lighting. The runway is equipped with edge and threshold bar lighting and visual slope indicators. The taxiways are equipped with centerline lighting and in certain areas edge lighting. The airport will be equipped with VOR/DME radio equipment together with an instrument landing system. It is also proposed to provide shortly, radar surveillance equipment. The navigational aids provided will enable pilots to descend through cloud to a height at which they can utilize the visual landing aids.
The terminal building and other ancillary buildings located towards the southern end of the runway were designed and the construction supervised by a Malaysian firm of Architects - Messrs. Booty Edwards & Partners. The terminal building together with the control tower form a covered area of approximately 350,000 sq. ft. The roof comprises a series of reinforced concrete hyperbolic paraboloid panels at 48 ft. square, and supported by 36 foot R.C. columns at 48 foot centres. External noise has been minimized by providing a band of air-conditioned rooms with double glazing on the side of the building adjacent to the parking apron. Rubberized flooring has been used extensively.
The ground floor of the terminal building contains offices for the Departments of Civil Aviation and Meteorology, and Airlines together with the main kitchen, electrical and air-conditioning plant. The first floor is a passenger concourse and vehicular traffic is accommodated on a covered roadway which is an integral part of the building. All check-in and ticket counters, arrival and departure halls, reception, interview and V.I.P. rooms, shops and other public facilities are located on this floor. The second floor which is of Mezzanine has two gentry rising spiral ramps sweeping up from the concourse level which serve as the principal means of access. On this floor there is an air-conditioned public observation terrace and an open air dining terrace and dance floor. The 134 ft. high control tower is a separate structure connected to the terminal building by a covered way.
This project is the largest in South East Asia and was completed in a period of 30 months at a total cost of M$52 million.
Technical Details
Special postage stamps of the 15 cents and 30 cents denominations will be issued on the 30th August, 1965 to mark the opening of the International Airport in Kuala Lumpur.
Size: Rectangular with the following dimensions perforation to perforation, in sheets of 100 - Horizontal - 36 mm, Vertical - 25 mm.
Printing Process: Photogravure
Design: The design features the International Airport Terminal Building
Colours:
15 cents - Building - grey, Sky - blue
30 cents - Building - grey, Sky - red
Paper: PTM watermarked white paper
Printed By: Messrs. Harrison and Sons Ltd., London
The stamps will be placed on sale in all the territories of Malaysia for a period of three months from the date of issue or until stocks are exhausted whichever is earlier.
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