GEORGE TOWN – The Penang government is ready to give its full support to the Transport Ministry and Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd’s (MAHB) implementation of the Penang International Airport (PIA) expansion project.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the airport expansion can cater to some 20 million passengers annually.
“Penang welcomes the airport expansion project announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Budget 2023. We hope that the project can start this year and be completed in three years,” he said in a statement here today.
Chow, who is also Batu Kawan MP, said the expansion will be able to boost the socio-economic development of the Northern Corridor states and Penang’s tourism and industrial sectors.
During the presentation of the revised supply bill in Parliament today, Anwar announced the expansion of PIA and Subang Airport – as well as plans to halt construction of a new airport in Kulim, Kedah.
The expansion of the two airports, to be spearheaded by MAHB, cost less than building a new airport in Kulim – which was estimated to cost RM7 billion, he said.
Meanwhile, Penang Tourism and Creative Economy (Petace) executive councillor Yeoh Soon Hin said he had spoken previously with Transport Minister Anthony Loke on PIA’s expansion, with the hope that it can take off immediately with federal government support.
“Petace has been actively engaging various international airlines to develop direct flights to Penang. However, the limitation of the airport apron and passenger handling capacity was a major hindrance tow start new direct flight routes. This makes Budget 2023’s allocation for the airport expansion all the more crucial,” he said.
PIA was upgraded in 2013 to cater to 6.5 million passengers per annum (PPA), but passengers grew rapidly. By 2019, it recorded a total 8.3 million PPA.
The Transport Ministry approved the proposal to expand the airport under Pakatan Harapan’s previous administration but this was put on hold after the abrupt change in the federal government in early 2020.
The federal government also said that airport expansion plans nationwide would be postponed pending the finalisation of the National Airport Strategic Plan study. – Bernama, February 24, 2023
