THE government is mulling to include a low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT) in the Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said.

The move is to handle the increasing passenger traffic at the airport, which has hit 7.1 million passengers last year, surpassing its 6.5 million capacity.

Lim said the federal government and Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd (MAHB) lack funds to expand the congested airport and are looking for new ways to work with the private sector.

He said the government have spoken to award-winning low-cost carrier AirAsia for the expansion, which includes a LCCT.

“We have talked to AirAsia and MAHB. We will talk further.

“It is almost confirmed. The discussions have been very positive,” he told reporters at the Penang legislative assembly building today.

Lim, who is Air Putih assemblyman, had earlier delivered his speech in the House, where he mentioned the LCCT project for the Penang airport.

“We are talking of adding on to the present facilities. Not expanding the runway.”

He said the federal government needed to look at public, private, professional and people partnership – an approach the Penang government had used while governing the state as the opposition for the last 10 years.

“We can expand the airport, but where do we find the money? To get money, we need a LCCT.

“We will then get the volume. People are willing to invest to get the money back.”

The former Penang chief minister also said building a LCCT might be faster, taking one to one and a half years.

“We are looking at the plans. We have to wait for the outcome.” – August 6, 2018.