GEORGE TOWN, Nov 28 –– The Penang International Airport expansion project will double its capacity to 12 million passengers per annum, state exco Zairil Khir Johari.

The state transport, infrastructure and digital committee chairman told the state legislative assembly today that the current capacity is 6.5 million passengers per annum.

The total passenger arrivals at the PIA reached 2.73 million between January and September this year.

"The total international passengers were 1.39 million while domestic passengers were 1.34 million for that period,” he said when replying an oral question by Goh Choon Aik (PH-Bukit Tambun) on the total passenger arrivals at the airport and the status of the expansion project.

Zairil said there are 19 direct flights to PIA from various cities in Singapore, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam and Middle East.

"The total costs for the expansion project will be about RM1.55 billion,” he said.

He said the cost of expansion is fully funded by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad without involvement by third parties.

He added that the expansion project involved three packages, the first involving works on the building and to build a remote digital virtual tower.

The second package involved infrastructure works at the airside and apron while the third package involved works on the main terminal.

He said the letter of award for the project was issued in July this year.

He also said a traffic dispersal system will be imposed after the completion of the expansion project to ensure smoother traffic flow in the Bayan Lepas area leading to and from the airport.