Penang International Airport

Penang International Airport (IATA: PEN, ICAO: WMKP) is an international airport in northern West Malaysia. The airport is located near Bayan Lepas at the southeastern tip of Penang Island, 16 km (9.9 mi) south of the city centre.[1] The airport is the third-busiest airport in Malaysia in terms of passenger traffic and the second-busiest in terms of cargo tonnage.[2]

Penang International Airport

Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Pulau Pinang
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorMalaysia Airports
ServesState of Penang, Kedah, Perlis and northern Perak
LocationBayan Lepas, Barat Daya, 11900 Penang, Malaysia
Opened1935 (1935)
Hub for
Operating base forAirAsia
Time zoneMST (UTC+08:00)
Elevation AMSL11 ft / 3 m
Coordinates05°17′49.7″N 100°16′36.71″E
Websiteairports.malaysiaairports.com.my/penang
Maps
Penang state in Malaysia
Penang state in Malaysia
PEN /WMKP is located in Penang
PEN /WMKP
PEN /WMKP
Location in Penang
PEN /WMKP is located in Peninsular Malaysia
PEN /WMKP
PEN /WMKP
Location in West Malaysia
PEN /WMKP is located in Southeast Asia
PEN /WMKP
PEN /WMKP
Location in Asia
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
04/22 3,354 11,004 Asphalt
Statistics (2020)
Passenger1,826,121 (Decrease 78.1%)
Airfreight (tonnes)137,685 (Decrease 1.4%)
Aircraft movements30,433 (Decrease 62.2%)

As the third busiest airport in Malaysia, Penang International Airport recorded 7.23 million tourist arrivals in 2017.[3]

Penang International Airport also serves as the main hub for Firefly and as an operating base for AirAsia.[4]

History
Aerial view of Penang International Airport.

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]

In the 1970s, a major expansion of the airport was carried out, 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.[5]

In December 2019, MAHB announced a RM800 million expansion plan for the airport, with work on 4 phases starting in March 2020 and to be completed by 2024. This would raise the capacity of the airport from 6.5 million passengers yearly, to 12 million a year. This compares with actual passenger numbers of 9.5 million. However, in May 2020, Chief Minister of Penang Chow Kon Yeow says the planned expansion of the airport might well be by between six months to a year due as a result of the COVID-19.[6][7][8]

On 5 April 2020, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said that all international flights into Penang had ceased, although domestic flights continued.[9]

Facilities
ATR 72-500 of Firefly air company standing at Penang International Airport.

The airport became a source of contention between the Penang state government and the Malaysian federal government in recent years, as transportation infrastructure throughout Malaysia falls under the purview of the latter authority. Calls by the Penang state government to expand the airport largely went unheeded by the Malaysian federal government, even though the airport has exceeded its maximum capacity of 6.5 million passengers.[10] In 2017, the federal authorities finally announced plans to expand the airport to accommodate 12 million passengers per year by 2029.[11][12] The airport expansion was stalled from 2020-2022 due to issues with land acquisition and funding however the Malaysian Transport Ministry has reaffirmed its expansion plans.[13]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger
AirlinesDestinations
AirAsia Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong,[14] Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur–International, Langkawi, Medan, Singapore
Batik Air Banda Aceh,[15] Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta,[15] Medan
Batik Air Malaysia Kuala Lumpur–International, Kuala Lumpur–Subang
Charter: Guilin[16]
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong
China Airlines Taipei–Taoyuan
China Southern Airlines Guangzhou[17]
Citilink Medan
Firefly Banda Aceh, Bangkok–Don Mueang (begins 3 November 2023),[18] Johor Bahru,[19] Kota Bharu, Kota Kinabalu,[19] Kuala Lumpur–Subang, Kuching,[19] Langkawi, Medan,[20] Phuket, Singapore[21]
flydubai Dubai–International (begins 10 February 2024)[22]
Indonesia AirAsia Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Medan, Surabaya
Jetstar Asia Airways Singapore
Lion Air Medan
Malaysia Airlines Kuala Lumpur–International
MYAirline Kuala Lumpur–International (suspended)[23][24]
Qatar Airways Doha (resumes 29 October 2023)1[25]
Scoot Singapore
Singapore Airlines Singapore
Starlux Airlines Taipei–Taoyuan[26]
Thai AirAsia Bangkok–Don Mueang[27]
Thai Airways International Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi
Thai Lion Air Bangkok–Don Mueang (begins 16 November 2023)[28]
XiamenAir Xiamen[29][30]

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
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, Seoul–Incheon
MASkargo Kuala Lumpur–International
My Jet Xpress Airlines Kuala Lumpur–International, Singapore
Qatar Airways Phuket[31]
UPS Airlines Bangkok– Suvarnabhumi, Kuala Lumpur–International, Shenzhen

Operational statistics

Penang International Airport is the third busiest airport in the country in terms of passenger traffic after Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Kota Kinabalu International Airport, and handles the second largest cargo tonnage of all Malaysian airports after Kuala Lumpur International Airport.[2]

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
20032,334,669Steady197,567Steady30,558Steady
20042,987,993Increase 28.0212,369Increase 7.533,069Increase 8.2
20052,834,545Decrease 5.1221,971Increase 4.534,616Increase 4.7
20063,103,772Increase 9.5225,952Increase 1.836,259Increase 4.7
20073,173,117Increase 2.2208,582Decrease 7.739,265Increase 8.3
20083,405,762Increase 7.3192,936Decrease 7.543,796Increase 11.5
20093,325,423Decrease 2.4137,775Decrease 28.643,621Decrease 0.4
20104,166,969Increase 25.3147,057Increase 6.750,205Increase 15.1
20114,600,274Increase 10.4131,846Decrease 10.354,713Increase 9.0
20124,767,815Increase 3.6123,246Decrease 6.553,766Decrease 1.7
20135,487,751Increase 15.1153,703Increase 24.760,020Increase 11.6
20146,041,583Increase 10.1141,213Decrease 8.165,734Increase 9.5
20156,258,756Increase 3.6130,392Decrease 7.766,670Increase 1.4
20166,684,026Increase 6.8130,491Increase 0.166,247Decrease 0.6
20177,232,097Increase 8.2134,187Increase 2.870,609Increase 6.6
20187,790,423Increase 7.7145,649Increase 8.575,552Increase 7.0
20198,331,291Increase 6.9139,646Decrease 4.180,598Increase 6.7
20201,826,121Decrease 78.1137,685Decrease 1.430,433Decrease 62.2
Source: Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad[32]
Top 10 nationalities of international arrivals (2016)
RankNationality Arrivals
1 Indonesia Indonesia 264,546
2 Singapore Singapore 154,063
3 China China 59,661
4 Japan Japan 24,065
5 Australia Australia 20,232
6 United States United States 17,099
7 United Kingdom United Kingdom 16,956
8 Thailand Thailand 15,471
9 Taiwan Taiwan 14,225
10 India India 7,401
Total 593,719
Source: Immigration Department of Malaysia[33]

Ground transportation

Rapid Penang has provided four bus routes to and from Penang International Airport, connecting the airport with various parts of Penang Island.

The Rapid Penang routes that pass through the Penang International Airport include:

  • 102: Penang International Airport-Penang National Park-Penang International Airport
  • 306: Penang International Airport-Penang General Hospital-Penang International Airport
  • 401: Teluk Kumbar-Pengkalan Weld-Teluk Kumbar
  • 401E: Balik Pulau-Pengkalan Weld-Balik Pulau

In addition, as of December 2020, the state government is planning a light-rail project that will connect Penang International Airport and Komtar with 27 intermediate stations.[34]

Incidents
  • 28 Mar 1981: Garuda Indonesia Flight 206 refueled at Penang International Airport. During refueling, the hijackers removed an old lady named Hulda Panjaitan from the plane because she kept crying. Subsequently, the plane took off and landed at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok.
  • 9 Nov 1985: Barlow and Chambers, two British-Australian criminals were caught at the airport, trying to smuggle heroin into Australia. Both were arrested and later sentenced to death.
  • 9 Jan 2000: Korean Air Cargo Flight 367, a Boeing 747-230F while approaching Runway 22. The aircraft lost a flap section, which punctured the fuselage, causing a 1 m-wide hole.
  • 1 Jan 2020: A bush fire near the airport put authorities on alert, but flights were not delayed by the incident.[35]

References
  1. WMKP – PENANG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT at Department of Civil Aviation Malaysia
  2. "Malaysia Airports". Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  3. "Penang International Airport factsheet" (PDF). Malaysia Airports.
  4. "AirAsia to turn Penang into fourth hub in Malaysia". The Star. 8 July 2009.
  5. "Handy Penang airport information from Skyscanner". www.skyscanner.co.in. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  6. "Penang airport gears up for $261m upgrade to handle 12 million passengers a year". The Straits Times. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  7. Nambiar, Predeep (29 May 2020). "Penang airport expansion likely delayed by a year, says CM". Free Malaysia Today. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  8. Friday, 13 Dec 2019 07:18 PM MYT (13 December 2019). "Jagdeep: Penang Airport expansion works to begin in March next year | Malay Mail". www.malaymail.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  9. Sunday, 05 Apr 2020 04:20 PM MYT (5 April 2020). "International flights to Penang halted, says CM | Malay Mail". www.malaymail.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  10. "Guan Eng demands Putrajaya approve Penang International Airport expansion now". 1 December 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  11. "Penang International Airport expansion to start soon". The Edge Markets. 13 February 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  12. Opalyn Mok (12 February 2018). "Expansion project to double Penang airport capacity to 12 million passengers, says council head". Malay Mail.
  13. BERNAMA (11 July 2022). "Govt will continue with Penang Airport expansion project - Wee". BERNAMA. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  14. "AirAsia Resumes Penang – Hong Kong Service From August 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  15. "Batik Air Adds Banda Aceh – Penang Service From Dec 2022". AeroRoutes. 28 November 2022.
  16. "槟城直飞中国桂林917起航班开通". Kwongwah.com.my. 15 August 2023.
  17. "China Southern Feb/Mar 2023 SE Asia Service Resumptions". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  18. "Firefly Adds Penang – Bangkok Route From Nov 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  19. "Firefly reinstates jet ops from Penang with direct flights to Johor Bahru, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu". The Edge Markets.
  20. "Firefly = Penang-Kualanamu daily flight on Firefly's 737".
  21. "Firefly to launch flights from Penang to Changi Airport on March 26". The Straits Times. 3 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  22. "flydubai launches daily service to Langkawi and Penang in Malaysia".
  23. "MyAirline Promo", MyAirline, 2022, retrieved 5 December 2022
  24. "MYAirline Suspends Operation from 12OCT23". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  25. "Qatar Airways Resumes Flights To Penang".
  26. "Starlux Airlines: Taiwan's AWESOME New Airline". One Mile at a Time. 7 October 2019.
  27. Töre, Özgür (15 March 2022). "AirAsia Resumes Flights from Malaysia to Thailand". ftnNews. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  28. "Thai Lion Air Plans Penang Service From Nov 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  29. "XIAMEN AIRLINES ADDS XIAMEN – PENANG FROM LATE-SEP 2023".
  30. "9月28日起，厦门-槟城航班恢复至每周3班！" (in Chinese).
  31. "Qatar Airways Cargo Resumes Penang Passenger Freighter Service". Aviation Source. 8 February 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  32. "Malaysia Airports: Airports Statistics 2020" (PDF). Malaysia Airports.
  33. "Pulau Pinang nombor 1, hasil pelancongan perubatan 2015 naik 5.55%" (PDF). Buletin Mutiara. 1 June 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  34. 2020-12-08T11:00:00+00:00. "Penang pursues light rail project". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  35. hermesauto (2 January 2020). "Passengers panic over bush fire near Penang airport". The Straits Times. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
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