GEORGE TOWN, Oct 16 — The Penang International Airport (PIA) expansion project has started even as the estimated passenger movements for the airport is expected to hit 7.8 million this year.
Penang state exco for tourism and creative economy Wong Hon Wai said the PIA expansion project team is now on site preparing the start of the project.
“There are three packages involved, and they are targeted to complete in 2028,” he said in a statement today.
The three packages are for ancillary building works, apron and airside facilities works and main terminal building and associated works.
He said he met with Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad yesterday to discuss the expansion project.
“The team will also need to coordinate with MRT Corp to construct an LRT station near the airport main terminal,” he said.
Wong also said that the total passenger movements at the PIA between January and September this year reached 5,553,881 passengers.
He said it was an increase of 6.78 per cent as compared to 5,201,419 passengers for the same period last year.
The total passenger movement for 2023 was 7 million and Wong said it is likely to hit 7.8 million passengers this year.
Needed expansion
The PIA currently only has a capacity of 6.5 million passengers so the increase in passenger movements frequently overburdened the airport.
With the expansion, the passenger movement capacity will increase to 12 million passengers annually.
On the launching ceremony of the expansion project, Wong said it will be scheduled and launched later by the federal government as it is a federal project.
Meanwhile, Wong said the airport will start its optimisation process with 10 e-gates each in the international departure and arrival halls in November.
He said it is estimated to complete in four months.
“Additional 30 immigration staff will be deployed to man the counters in the end of November,” he said.
He added that the Immigration Department has also set up a Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) helpdesk at the international arrival hall to assist foreigners in filling in the MDAC.
PIA is also expected to receive inaugural direct flights from Shenzhen by Air Asia on October 29 and from Hong Kong by HK Express on November 21.
Wong said Qatar Airline will also resume its direct flight from Doha as part of its winter season schedule on October 27.
“Indigo Airline is scheduled to fly from Chennai, India to Penang pending the arrival of their new aircrafts,” he said.
As for cargo flights, he said the new Raya Airways will also be flying to Penang.
