GEORGE TOWN – The proposed expansion work on the Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas will begin in September next year with the Transport Ministry allocating up to RM93 million to transform the facility to be among the biggest aviation hubs in the country.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook informed Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow in a parliamentary reply that the allocation would be placed under the third phase of 12th Malaysia (Development) Plan.
The expansion will see its present almost full capacity of 6.5 million passengers per annum increased to 12 million per annum. Construction works would take 48 months to complete, Loke told Chow, the Batu Kawan MP.
Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), which owns and manages the airport here, is now in the midst of finalising the financial model for the airport that is sustainable to the Madani national unity government, Loke said.
It was also disclosed that the occasional flash floods at the airport would be resolved with the construction of a pump system and underground drainage tank which can absorb up to 1,200 solid meters of water from the new multi-storey car park at the airport.
Penang has been lobbying for the expansion of the airport since 2018. Despite an upgrade in 2016, the facility is deemed to be already operating at near full capacity due to the state's position as a leading destination for manufacturing, services and also tourism.
Veteran tourism practitioner Eric R. Sinnaya has advocated that the airport's commercial section be turned into an area which showcases sustainability with emphasis on promoting eco-tourism and greenery.
It should be a soothing experience rather than one that is overwhelmed by food outlets and retail stores only, he said.
Sinnaya also urged the MAHB to get rid of touts and illegal transport providers who currently loiter around at the big airports such as the KLIA I and II. - The Vibes, October 13, 2023.
