THE Penang International Airport (PIA) expansion plan is currently ongoing and it would take approximately two years to complete.
Penang Tourism Development, Heritage, Culture and Arts Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin said that the passenger traffic has increased tremendously this year.
“There is definitely a need to expand the airport to cater to the increase in passenger flow.
“Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) is carrying out the expansion plan that will span over a period of two years.
“Among the scope of work are the relocation of airline ticket counters, the increase in check in and immigration counters and the renovation of the baggage claim carousel.
“MAHB is also implementing terminal optimisation measures to reduce congestion, especially during peak hours,” he told a press conference in Komtar today.
He was replying to a news report which stated that this year the airport was all set to surpass last year’s passenger flow by over 500,000 passengers.
The report stated that PIA would record more than 7.8 million arrivals and departures this year. However, the airport was built to handle up to 6.5 million passengers a year.
Story by Christopher Tan