1911 – 2011 : 100 YEARS OF AVIATION

100 Tahun Penerbangan : 100 Years of Aviation (7th July 2011)

The Birth of Aviation 

The year 2011 marks the centennial celebration of aviation in Malaysia. The first attempt of flight in Malaya was made as early as 1898. A balloonist leapt from the top of a government building at JalanTuanku Abdul Rahman (formally known as Batu Road), Kuala Lumpur and crash landed at the edge of the Selangor Padang. 

The first recorded flight performed by G.P. Fuller, who landed his Antoinette Monoplane at the race course in Ampang, Kuala Lumpur in 1911, marks the birth of aviation in Malaya. Thirteen years later, the first civil aircraft in Malaya – a Fokker FVII of Koninkujke Luchvaat Maaeschapaj (KLM) – landed on a bumpy grass in Alor Setar, Kedah. In 1928, Alor Setar becomes the center of aviation activities in Malaya when KLM operated regular fortnightly services. Alor Setar and Taiping were the first two British-built airstrips in Malaya. 
Aviation first come to Kuala Lumpur on 10 May 1929 when an inaugural meeting of the Malayan Aeroplane Club (later become the Kuala Lumpur Flying Club) was held in the Malay States Volunteer Reserve Mess. 
Commercial aviation in Malaya was introduced in 1930 when the Imperial Airways started its ‘flying boat’ operation at Penang’s Gelugor Marine Station. An Imperial Airways’ Armstrong Whitley Atlanta aircraft ‘Aurora’ that landed at Sungei Besi Airfield was the first commercial aircraft offering international service. 

Era of Aviation Development

The development of aviation in Malaya started in 1956 when the Kuala Lumpur Airport at Sungei Besi was propelled to international status with its first flight to Europe. The Federation of Malaya joined the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 1957. By the end of 1957 it had 8 airports in Malaya, which was established at Sungei Besi, Penang, Alor Setar, Taiping, Ipoh, Malacca, Kuala Terengganu and Kuantan. 
In 1963, Malaya Airways Limited was renamed as Malaysian Airways Limited. The Subang International Airport was officially opened in 1965. In 1966, Malaysia-Singapore Airways (MSA) was formed before Malaysian Airlines CA) was given the status of a self-accounting agency under the Ministry of Transport (MOT) in 1975 asSystem (MAS) was officially launched to the skies in 1972. 
The Department of Civil Aviation (the regulator of civil aviation industry. In 1992, Malaysia Airports Berhad (MAB) was formed to operate, manage and maintain 5 international airports, 14 domestic airports and 15 short take-off and landing (STOL) ports. 

Era of Aviation Excellence

The era of aviation excellence in Malaysia started with the official opening of KL International Airport (KLIA) at Sepang in August 1998. Since its inauguration, KLIA has been voted World’s Best Airport four times and has emerged as one of the top five airports in the world. The KLIA is also the home of two Malaysia’s biggest and award-winning airlines, Malaysia Airline System (MAS) and Air Asia.

On 23 March 2006, the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) was specifically built at KLIA to cater for low-cost airlines, especially Malaysia’s first ‘no-frills’ airline, AirAsia. It was voted theCenter of Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA)Low Cost Airport of the year 2006. Due to growing demand, a new permanent LCCT, capable of handling up to 45 million passengers per annum, is under construction and is expected to be operational by 2012. Air Asia has since expanded its route network that spans through 20 countries through Air Asia-X and has received numerous national and international awards.
The establishment of MAS and AIROD in the 70’s had then further supported commercial and military aviation activities. Although the initial activities were evolving around maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), this eventually progressed into aviation manufacturing and assembling works in the 90’s through the production of Malaysian-made MD-3 and Eagle 150B two-seater light aircraft. With the transformation of Subang Airport into Malaysia International Aerospace Center (MIAC), Malaysia has staked a claim in the global MRO industry.
Today, Malaysia has made significant achievements in international civil aviation. It has advanced its international standing at par with other develop nations such as the U.S. and United Kingdom. Since its first bid in 2007, Malaysia has been elected a member on the Council of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) – a specialized agency under the United Nations responsible for the formulation of international civil aviation regulations, and standards and recommended practices.