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Penang International Airport

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Penang International Airport (PIA) (IATA: PEN, ICAO: WMKP) is an international airport in George Town, the capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang. The airport is located at the southeastern tip of Penang Island, 16 km (9.9 mi) south of the city centre, and serves the country's second largest conurbation.[1]

Penang International Airport

Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Pulau Pinang
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorMalaysia Airports
ServesGeorge Town Conurbation
LocationBayan Lepas, George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Opened1935; 89 years ago (1935)
Hub forFirefly
Operating base forAirAsia
Time zoneMST (UTC+08:00)
Elevation AMSL3 m / 11 ft
Coordinates05°17′49.7″N 100°16′36.71″E / 5.297139°N 100.2768639°E / 5.297139; 100.2768639
Websiteairports.malaysiaairports.com.my/penang
Map
PEN/WMKP is located in Central George Town, Penang
PEN/WMKP
PEN/WMKP
Location in George Town
PEN/WMKP is located in Peninsular Malaysia
PEN/WMKP
PEN/WMKP
Location in West Malaysia
PEN/WMKP is located in Malaysia
PEN/WMKP
PEN/WMKP
Location in Malaysia
PEN/WMKP is located in Southeast Asia
PEN/WMKP
PEN/WMKP
Location in Southeast Asia
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
04/22 3,354 11,004 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Passenger6,789,712 (Increase 58.6%)
Airfreight (tonnes)119,919 (Decrease 26.0%)
Aircraft movements62,145 (Increase 26.7%)

As the main gateway into northwestern Malaysia, PIA is the third busiest airport in Malaysia in terms of passenger traffic, recording nearly 6.8 million tourist arrivals in 2023 alone.[2] It is also the second busiest in the country by cargo handled and the highest in terms of export value, with RM365 billion in exports in 2023.[3] Additionally, the airport is the main hub for local budget airline Firefly and one of AirAsia's operating bases.[4]

History

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A 1935 map depicting routes of the Imperial Airways, which included Penang
 
Penang International Airport terminal c. 2011. The terminal building underwent an overhaul by 2012.
 
Aerial view of Penang International Airport, with the skyline of the Bayan Lepas suburb forming the background
 
Entrance to Penang International Airport terminal, c. 2012

The airport, then named Bayan Lepas International Airport, was completed in 1935, when Penang was part of the British crown colony of the Straits Settlements.[5] Governor of the Straits Settlements Cecil Clementi had overseen the nascent aviation development in Malaya. Under his administration, aerodromes were built at Bayan Lepas and Kallang, Singapore.[6]

The Bayan Lepas airport was constructed on mudflats, which necessitated the installation of concrete runways to ensure all-weather operational capabilities.[6] Kallang airport was regarded as the "finest" in the Far East at that time, while the Bayan Lepas airport was perceived as Malaya's "second airport", enjoying advantages such as closer proximity to Indochina and East Asia compared to Kallang.[6][7]

As early as 1938, the Straits Settlements government estimated that an additional 10 acres (4.0 ha) was necessary for the expansion of the Bayan Lepas airport.[8] At the time, the airport served both civilian air traffic and the Royal Air Force (RAF).[9] At the onset of World War II, the Straits Settlements imposed regulations to manage air traffic in Penang, designating specific corridors for aircraft overflying the colony.[10] The Bayan Lepas airport, along with the Butterworth air base, was subjected to aerial attacks by Japanese forces in December 1941.[11]

Following the independence of Malaya, transportation infrastructure throughout the new federation falls under the purview of the federal government.[12] In 1967, the federal government announced an allocation of $2.3 million (Malaya and British Borneo dollar) to expand the Bayan Lepas airport.[13] The expansion was carried out in the 1970s, during which a terminal building of Minangkabau architecture was built and the runway extended to accommodate Boeing 747s, then the largest passenger jet aircraft. Upon the completion of the expansion works in 1979, the airport was renamed Penang International Airport (PIA).[5] The airport's new terminal increased its annual passenger capacity to 1.5 million.[14]

The development of the adjacent Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone enhanced the PIA's role as a logistics hub.[15] However, the surging cargo tonnage resulting from industrial demand prompted the Penang state government, under Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon, to propose a new, larger airport in Seberang Perai in 1993 to accommodate the increase in air traffic.[16] In 1997, then Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad announced plans to build a new airport in neighbouring Kedah and close the PIA, overlooking Koh's earlier proposals for the Seberang Perai airport.[17][18][19] Fearing potential backlash from local civil societies and the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP), Mahathir later relented, stating that the PIA would "still be maintained if investors need it".[17] The PIA was expanded in 1998 to accommodate 3.5 million passengers yearly.[14]

The airport was further expanded in 2012, increasing its capacity to 6.5 million passengers per year.[12][14] Nonetheless, it remained a source of contention between the Penang and federal governments after Pakatan Rakyat (now Pakatan Harapan) – which included the DAP – gained control of the state in 2008.[12] Calls by the Penang state government for further expansion of the PIA were ignored, even though passenger traffic quickly surpassed the airport's new capacity of 6.5 million.[12][20] The then Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng raised concerns that the federal government lacked urgency regarding the issue, as it was still considering the proposal for a new airport in Kedah.[12]

It was not until 2017 when the federal government announced plans to expand the PIA to accommodate 12 million passengers per year by 2028.[21][22][23] While the planned expansion met with delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2023, the federal government approved an allocation of RM93 million to facilitate land acquisition and infrastructure development for the airport's expansion.[24] In 2024, it was announced that the PIA's expansion will entail the addition of new infrastructure and an upgrade of the main terminal. The expansion aims to increase the aircraft capacity from 16 to 28 at any given time.[23] The Mutiara line, a proposed light rail system expected to be completed by 2030, will also incorporate a station at the airport.[23][25]

Airlines and destinations

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Passenger

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AirlinesDestinations
AirAsia Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong,[26] Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur–International, Kuching, Langkawi, Medan, Shenzhen,[27][28] Singapore
Batik Air Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta[29]
Batik Air Malaysia Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta,[30] Kuala Lumpur–International, Kuala Lumpur–Subang,[31] Kunming[32]
Charter: Haikou
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong
China Airlines Taipei–Taoyuan
China Southern Airlines Guangzhou[33]
Citilink Medan
Firefly Banda Aceh, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi,[34] Johor Bahru,[35] Kota Bharu, Kota Kinabalu,[35] Kuala Lumpur–International,[36] Kuala Lumpur–Subang, Langkawi, Phuket, Singapore[37]
Charter: Chongqing[38]
flydubai Dubai–International[39]
HK Express Hong Kong (resumes 21 November 2024)[40]
IndiGo Chennai (begins 20 December 2024)[41]
Indonesia AirAsia Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Medan, Surabaya
Jetstar Asia Singapore
Juneyao Air Shanghai–Pudong[42]
Lion Air Medan
Malaysia Airlines Kuala Lumpur–International
Qatar Airways Doha1[43]
Scoot Singapore
Shanghai Airlines Shanghai–Pudong[44]
Shenzhen Airlines Shenzhen[45]
Singapore Airlines Singapore
Starlux Airlines Taipei–Taoyuan[46]
Thai AirAsia Bangkok–Don Mueang[47]
Thai Airways International Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi
Thai Lion Air Bangkok–Don Mueang[48]
XiamenAir Xiamen[49][50]

1: This flight operates with a stop at Phuket. However, the airline has no traffic rights to transport passengers solely between Penang and Phuket.

Cargo

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AirlinesDestinations
Cargolux Hong Kong
Cathay Cargo Hong Kong, Phnom Penh
China Airlines Cargo Hanoi, Taipei–Taoyuan
DHL Aviation
operated by Air Hong Kong 		Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong
EVA Air Cargo Taipei–Taoyuan
FedEx Express Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore, Taipei–Taoyuan
Korean Air Cargo Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur–International, Seoul–Incheon
MASkargo Kuala Lumpur–International
My Jet Xpress Airlines Kuala Lumpur–International, Singapore
Qatar Airways Cargo Phuket[51]
UPS Airlines Bangkok– Suvarnabhumi, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur–International, Shenzhen

Operational statistics

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PIA is the third busiest airport in the country in terms of passenger traffic after Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA).[52] The airport experienced its peak passenger traffic of 8.3 million in 2019, surpassing its annual capacity of 6.5 million passengers, before the outbreak of COVID-19 caused global disruptions in air travel.[53][54] In 2023, PIA recorded nearly 6.8 million passengers, compared to 4.275 million in 2022.[2]

The PIA–KLIA route is one of the busiest air corridors in Malaysia, having flown 2.2 million passengers in 2019. Additionally, the PIA–Changi corridor is estimated to be the third busiest among Malaysia's ASEAN routes, with around 300,000 passengers flown throughout 2022.[55]

While it processes the second largest cargo tonnage after KLIA, in terms of export value, PIA's is the highest of all Malaysian airports, with RM365 billion worth of exports passing through PIA in 2023 alone.[52][3]

Annual passenger traffic at PEN airport. See Wikidata query.
Annual passenger numbers and aircraft statistics
Year Passengers
handled 		Passenger
% change 		Cargo
(tonnes) 		Cargo
% change 		Aircraft
movements 		Aircraft
% change
2003 2,334,669   197,567   30,558  
2004 2,987,993   28.0 212,369   7.5 33,069   8.2
2005 2,834,545   5.1 221,971   4.5 34,616   4.7
2006 3,103,772   9.5 225,952   1.8 36,259   4.7
2007 3,173,117   2.2 208,582   7.7 39,265   8.3
2008 3,405,762   7.3 192,936   7.5 43,796   11.5
2009 3,325,423   2.4 137,775   28.6 43,621   0.4
2010 4,166,969   25.3 147,057   6.7 50,205   15.1
2011 4,600,274   10.4 131,846   10.3 54,713   9.0
2012 4,767,815   3.6 123,246   6.5 53,766   1.7
2013 5,487,751   15.1 153,703   24.7 60,020   11.6
2014 6,041,583   10.1 141,213   8.1 65,734   9.5
2015 6,258,756   3.6 130,392   7.7 66,670   1.4
2016 6,684,026   6.8 130,491   0.1 66,247   0.6
2017 7,232,097   8.2 134,187   2.8 70,609   6.6
2018 7,790,423   7.7 145,649   8.5 75,552   7.0
2019 8,331,291   6.9 139,646   4.1 80,598   6.7
2020 1,826,121   78.1 137,685   1.4 30,433   62.2
2021 542,681   70.3 153,782   11.7 17,452   42.7
2022 4,275,791   687.9 162,048   5.4 49,036   181.0
2023 6,789,712   58.6 119,919   26.0 62,145   26.7
Source: Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad,[53][2] Ministry of Transport[52]
Top 10 nationalities of international arrivals
Nationality Arrivals
2017 2016 2015 2014 2013
  Indonesia 279,173 238,056 268,892 286,896 232,423
  China 68,341 56,116 62,215 61,095 43,934
  Singapore 67,774 135,107 144,581 144,368 110,323
  Taiwan 26,610 12,951 22,087 20,712 18,337
  Japan 24,346 21,916 27,682 30,927 26,325
  Thailand 22,346 14,482 17,687 19,590 17,685
  Australia 19,539 18,326 22,488 20,960 19,218
  United States 16,082 15,871 22,033 22,423 22,664
  United Kingdom 15,541 15,708 18,850 18,660 16,946
  India 7,155 6,954 7,534 8,757 7,871
Source: Immigration Department of Malaysia[56]

Ground transportation

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Rapid Penang has provided four bus routes to and from Penang International Airport, connecting the airport with various parts of George Town.[57]

Incidents

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References

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  1. ^ WMKP – PENANG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT at Department of Civil Aviation Malaysia
  2. ^ a b c "Airport Statistics 2023" (PDF). Malaysia Airports.
  3. ^ a b "Final External Trade Statistics 2023". Department of Statistics Malaysia: 100. July 2024. ISSN 2180-1827.
  4. ^ "AirAsia to turn Penang into fourth hub in Malaysia". The Star. 8 July 2009. [dead link]
  5. ^ a b "Handy Penang airport information from Skyscanner". www.skyscanner.co.in. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  6. ^ a b c "Malaya needs more and better landing grounds". Singapore Free Press. 18 February 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 25 October 2024 – via National Library Board.
  7. ^ "Flying Notes". The Straits Times. 6 October 1935. p. 6. Retrieved 25 October 2024 – via National Library Board.
  8. ^ "Penang airport extensions". Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle. 11 July 1938. p. 2. Retrieved 25 October 2024 – via National Library Board.
  9. ^ "Penang's first aerial pageant". The Straits Times. 10 January 1936. p. 20. Retrieved 25 October 2024 – via National Library Board.
  10. ^ "Flying "corridors" over Singapore". Singapore Free Press. 12 January 1940. p. 5. Retrieved 25 October 2024 – via National Library Board.
  11. ^ Li, Leshi; Augustin, Andreas (1987). The Penang Treasury: Secrets of a Beautiful Island. University of Michigan Press. p. 18. ISBN 9789971849528.
  12. ^ a b c d e Athukorala, Prema-chandra; Narayanan, Suresh (December 2017). "Economic Corridors and Regional Development:The Malaysian Experience" (PDF). Asian Development Bank.
  13. ^ "$2.3 mil. expansion for Penang's airport". The Straits Budget. 2 August 1967. p. 6. Retrieved 25 October 2024 – via National Library Board.
  14. ^ a b c David Tan; Alex Teng (14 March 2024). "Tender out for Penang airport's RM1.5bil expansion project". The Star. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  15. ^ Ismail, Rodhiah (11 May 1990). "Forwarders seek more direct flights for Penang Airport". Business Times. p. 27. Retrieved 25 October 2024 – via National Library Board.
  16. ^ "Feasibility study on site of new airport in north ready soon". The Straits Times. 18 February 1995. p. 10. Retrieved 25 October 2024 – via National Library Board.
  17. ^ a b Ho, Wah Foon (17 August 1997). "Penang airport can stay 'If investors need it'". The Straits Times. p. 21. Retrieved 25 October 2024 – via National Library Board.
  18. ^ "KL to ensure airport plan won't hit Penang". The Straits Times. 7 July 1997. p. 20. Retrieved 25 October 2024 – via National Library Board.
  19. ^ Azhar Abdullah, Saiful (18 June 1997). "All eyes now on how Kedah realises international airport project". New Straits Times. p. 2. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  20. ^ "Guan Eng demands Putrajaya approve Penang International Airport expansion now". 1 December 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  21. ^ "Penang International Airport expansion to start soon". The Edge Markets. 13 February 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  22. ^ Opalyn Mok (12 February 2018). "Expansion project to double Penang airport capacity to 12 million passengers, says council head". Malay Mail.
  23. ^ a b c Lo, Tern Chern (16 October 2024). "RM1.5bil Penang airport upgrade works begin". The Star. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  24. ^ Choy, Nyen Yiau (11 October 2023). "Loke: Govt has approved RM93 mil allocation for Penang Airport expansion". The Edge. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  25. ^ McIntyre, Ian (6 May 2024). "LRT project to include stop at Penang International Airport". The Vibes. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  26. ^ "AirAsia resumes Penang – Hong Kong service from August 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  27. ^ "AirAsia launches Penang-Shenzhen". theedgemalaysia. 27 August 2024.
  28. ^ "AirAsia enters second half of the year with wider expansion in China". newsroom.airasia. 26 August 2024.
  29. ^ "Batik Air adds Banda Aceh – Penang service from Dec 2022". AeroRoutes. 28 November 2022.
  30. ^ "BATIK AIR MALAYSIA PLANS PENANG – JAKARTA SERVICE IN 4Q24". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  31. ^ "Batik Air to resume Subang to Penang route from Aug 1". malaymail.com. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  32. ^ "Batik Air launches new Kunming-Penang route to boost tourism". themalaysianreserve. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  33. ^ "China Southern Feb/Mar 2023 SE Asia Service Resumptions". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  34. ^ "Firefly Penang – Bangkok service changes from May 2024". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  35. ^ a b "Firefly reinstates jet ops from Penang with direct flights to Johor Bahru, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu". The Edge Markets.
  36. ^ "Firefly begins Kuala Lumpur - Penang service from mid-June 2024". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  37. ^ "Firefly to launch flights from Penang to Changi Airport on March 26". The Straits Times. 3 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  38. ^ "FIREFLY SCHEDULES CHONGQING CHARTERS FROM JULY 2024". Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  39. ^ "flydubai launches daily service to Langkawi and Penang in Malaysia". 21 September 2023.
  40. ^ "HK Express Schedules Penang late-Nov 2024 Launch". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  41. ^ "Indigo Malaysian Expansion".
  42. ^ "Juneyao Airlines NS 24 short-haul international additions". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  43. ^ "Qatar Airways Resumes Flights To Penang". 18 September 2023.
  44. ^ "SHANGHAI AIRLINES ADDS PENANG SERVICE IN AUGUST 2024". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  45. ^ "Shenzhen Airlines resumes Penang service from late-July 2024". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  46. ^ "Starlux Airlines: Taiwan's AWESOME New Airline". One Mile at a Time. 7 October 2019.
  47. ^ Töre, Özgür (15 March 2022). "AirAsia Resumes Flights from Malaysia to Thailand". ftnNews. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  48. ^ "Thai Lion Air adds Penang service from April 2024". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  49. ^ "XIAMEN AIRLINES ADDS XIAMEN – PENANG FROM LATE-SEP 2023".
  50. ^ "9月28日起，厦门-槟城航班恢复至每周3班！" (in Chinese).
  51. ^ "Qatar Airways Cargo Resumes Penang Passenger Freighter Service". Aviation Source. 8 February 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  52. ^ a b c "Statistic of Aviation Transport". Ministry of Transport. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  53. ^ a b "Malaysia Airports: Airports Statistics 2020" (PDF). Malaysia Airports.
  54. ^ "Annual Report 2022" (PDF). Malaysia Airports.
  55. ^ "MALAYSIAN AVIATION INDUSTRY OUTLOOK DECEMBER 2022" (PDF). Malaysian Aviation Commission. December 2022.
  56. ^ "Tourism" (PDF). Penang state government.
  57. ^ "Rapid Penang - Bus". MyRapid. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  58. ^ Bayu Bramasta, Dandy (28 March 2021). "Drama Pembajakan Pesawat DC 9 "Woyla" Garuda Indonesia". Kompas. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
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