THE Penang government wants to be engaged in plans to expand the international airport in Bayan Lepas, which is now operating beyond capacity.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said as the most important stakeholders, the state government and its investment arm, Penang Development Corporation (PDC), want to be consulted when plans are made for the expansion.

“The Transport Ministry said MAHB (Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd) is calling an open tender to appoint the consultant for the expansion.

“We hope the ministry and MAHB will engage us and work together with us in this expansion project,” Chow told a press conference in Komtar today.

“We hope they will contact us. The expansion is urgent as the annual passenger growth for the airport is 10%,” he said.

The Penang International Airport has a capacity of 6.5 million passengers per year, but passenger numbers hit 7.2 million last year.

The federal government under the previous Barisan Nasional administration had agreed to expand the airport capacity to accommodate up to 12 million passengers per year.

Chow, who is also Tanjong MP, said he had submitted an oral question to the transport minister in the current Dewan Rakyat sitting to ask when the airport would be expanded, and for details of the expansion, such as cost and land acquisition.

The ministry’s answer to Chow stated that the cost for the expansion would depend on the detailed study of the consultant and the chosen funding model.

The ministry said the government would study the suitable development and funding models to ensure the expansion would be cost-effective, adding that there would not be any land acquisition involved in the expansion plans.

In the meantime, several short-term measures will be taken to alleviate the congestion at the airport.

“The ministry and MAHB will implement terminal optimisation to reduce the congestion of passengers during peak hours. This will be completed in the second quarter of 2019,” it said.

“The scope includes relocating all airline ticketing counters, adding and expanding check-in and immigration counters, and renovating the modifying the baggage reclaim carousel.

“MAHB is now preparing tender documents to appoint the contractor for the works, which will take five months to finish. The completion of the works is expected in February next year.” – July 25, 2018.