THE Penang government is unperturbed by the news that the Federal Government does not intend to build a low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT) in the state.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state was much focused on the expansion of Penang International Airport (PIA) in Bayan Lepas.
“The airport expansion is to expand the terminal. At the moment, the biggest user is AirAsia. I think 70% of the flights in and out of Penang are provided by AirAsia,” Chow said at a press conference after being asked by a reporter for his comments that the Federal Government had no intention of building a LCCT.
“In terms of impact, it (Penang airport) is sort of LCCT but it is actually not. The fact is AirAsia controls 70% of the load and the expansion caters to the needs of AirAsia which may bring in additional flights.
“So, whether it is LCCT or not, it doesn’t really matter because this is the service we are getting.”
The PIA has exceeded its maximum designed capacity of 6.5 million passengers per year as it currently handles about 7.1 million passengers.
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi
Video by Chan Kok Kuan