KUALA TERENGGANU, MALAYSIA: Terengganu wants the Sultan Mahmud Airport here to be a hub for destinations to China and Vietnam.

"The airport is located close to Kunming in China, Saigon and Hong Kong, so airlines operating these routes could establish their regional offices here," Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said said after chairing the weekly state exco meeting here yesterday.

Ahmad said the new airport terminal and extended runway could accommodate Boeing 747s from September.

"We will also see flights carrying 8,000 pilgrims from east coast states from the airport here directly to Mecca,

"Twenty Boeing 747s owned by Malaysia Airlines will use the airport to ferry pilgrims to the Holy Land," he said.

Ahmad said 15 cargo planes, all B747s, will be used to transport horses for the World Equestrian Endurance Championship at Lembah Bidong, Setiu, this November.

"Therefore, the airport could be elevated to a regional hub so that passengers could fly direct to China and Hong Kong," he said.

Ahmad said the state government would also build an aircraft refuelling facility at the airport for planes to transit.

He also said that Tabung Haji had agreed to build a complex for pilgrims on a 2.8ha site near the airport.