Taiping Airport

Infobox Airport
name = Taiping Airport
nativename = Lapangan Terbang Taiping


IATA = TPG [GCM|TPG]
ICAO = WMBI [http://aip.dca.gov.my/aip%20pdf/AD/AD4/Index%20To%20Aerodromes.pdf AIP Malaysia: Index to Aerodromes] at Department of Civil Aviation Malaysia]
type = Public / Military
owner =
operator = Ministry of Defence Malaysia (MINDEF)
city-served = Taiping, Malaysia
location =
elevation-f = 40
elevation-m = 12
coordinates = nowrap|coord|04|51|59|N|100|42|55|E|region:MY_type:airport
website =
metric-rwy = y
r1-number = 18/36
r1-length-m = 1,320
r1-length-f = 4,330
r1-surface = Tarmac / Grass
footnotes = Source: AIP Malaysia

Taiping Airport airport codes|TPG|WMBI is an airport in Taiping, Malaysia. It is is located at "Thomson Road", Tekah and also called as Tekah Airport. The airport was built in the early 1929, this wooden structure aerodrome was the first airfield in the state of Perak and also in Peninsular Malaysia. The airstrip can accommodate the Fokker planes only, because the landing strip is too short for modern aircraft to land and take off.

In February 2007, the airport was chosen to be the centre hub for the Global Flying Hospital, GFH. However, in July 2007, the decision of choosing Taiping Airport as the flying hub was a mistake, and the Chairman of GFH, Neil Newton, announced a new location will be selected. Eventually, the Subang Airport was chosen to replace the Taiping Airport and to be the centre for medical aid to more than 100 countries.

History

Taiping Airport is the oldest airport built in Malaysia. It was built by the British in 1929 for non-military purpose. Along with Alor Star Airport, both were the earliest airports in Malaya that built in the same year. However, in 1933 more airports were built and mushrooming in Singapore, Selangor and Penang, and the Taiping Airport no longer hold the importance.

ee also

*List of airports in Malaysia

References

External links

*Prof. Khoo Kay Kim, 2003, The Development of Taiping From 1876 Until World War II: Taiping The Vibrant Years, ISBN 983-2759-01-3
* [http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/2/22/nation/16941199&sec=nation News about development of Taiping Airport]
*ASN|TPG