Overview
Long Akah Airport is in Sarawak, Malaysia and is close to the abandoned settlement of Long Akah on the Baram river in the Marudi division. Kuching, the state capital is 531 kilometres away. The village of Long San is about ten minutes by boat from the airport and it is the hometown of the chief of the Orang Ulu community. Originally a Chinese trading post the village’s one row of single-story wooden shops have been replaced by a double-storey of shop with accommodation.
The village of Long San is charming and is a wonderful place to explore away from civilisation. The air is unpolluted and the water is clean and clear. The fort that was built in Long Akah in 1929 is the main tourist attraction. The hard ironwood fort was built as an administrative centre for Charles Vyner de Windt Brook who was the third and final White Rajah of Sarawak. There has been some refurbishment and zinc roofing has replaced the timber roofing.
The village of Long San is very remote and the STOL airfield links it to Miri and Marudi and contact with the outside world. The logging workers get the benefit of the airport rather than the locals from the nearby longhouses. To fly from Miri to Long Akah Airport is actually cheaper than driving the many hours in a 4 x 4 vehicle and of course much quicker.
In common with so many other airports in Malaysia Long Akah Airport is owned by the Malaysian Government and operated by Malaysia Airports Berhad.
History
In World War II Long Akah played an important role as a landing place for Allied soldiers. The liberation army that parachuted in was made up of Australian and British soldiers. The airstrip was upgraded and in 1998 became a public airport.
Terminals
Only a basic hut there are some basic facilities.
Flights and Destinations
MASWings – Marudi and Miri
Transport To and From the Airport
The airport is only about 1.5 kilometres from the village so most people walk or have transport already arranged.
There are no taxis, buses or car hire services.