RMAF Base Butterworth

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RMAF Butterworth TUDM Butterworth
IATA: BWH – ICAO: WMKB
Summary
Airport type		Military
Operator		Royal Malaysian Air Force
Location		Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia
Elevation AMSL		8 ft / 2.4 m
Coordinates		05°27′58″N 100°23′28″E / 5.46611, 100.39111
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
Direction	m	ft	Surface
18/36	2,438	7,999	Asphalt
Sources: AIP Malaysia^[1] and DAFIF^[2]^[3]

RMAF Base Butterworth (Malay: TUDM Butterworth) (IATA: BWH, ICAO: WMKB) is an air force base operated by the Royal Malaysian Air Force (Malay: Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia).

1 History
2 Australian involvement
3 Possible replacement of current Penang Bayan Lepas airport
4 Photo Gallery
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

[edit] History

RAAF Base Butterworth was a Royal Australian Air Force base located near the town of Butterworth in modern Malaysia. RAAF Butterworth was transferred from the British Royal Air Force to the RAAF in 1957 and was home to numerous Australian fighter and bomber squadrons during the Cold War. While RAAF Base Butterworth was closed on 30 June 1988 the base remains active under the control of the RMAF.

[edit] Australian involvement

The Australian Defence Force continues to maintain a presence at RMAF Butterworth, with No. 324 Combat Support Squadron and a detachment of AP-3C Orion aircraft from No. 92 Wing RAAF being located at the base. In addition, the Australian Army maintains an infantry company (designated Rifle Company Butterworth) at Butterworth for training purposes.

[edit] Possible replacement of current Penang Bayan Lepas airport

There is a shortage of land space on Penang island where the population is increasing rapidly. There has been some suggetion that RMAF Butterworth could be re-developed into a major new airport: Penang Butterworth International Airport on the mainland to replace Penang International Airport at Bayan Lepas on the island. Certainly there would be more scope for new terminal and runways at Butterworth than at Bayan Lepas. The land freed up at Bayan Lepas could be developed for new public and private housing. The existing air terminal at Bayan Lepas could be turned into a long distance bus terminal. Part of Bayan Lepas airport facilities could be retained as a heli-base and VTOL aircraft base, which could take aircraft like the VTOL Bell Boeing Osprey, even if the Bayan Lepas runway is re-developed for roads and housing. The new Penang Butterworth International Airport could also have a railway station much like Kuala Lumpur International Airport has one for transportation interconnectivity.