PENANG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT EXPANSION PHASE ONE ACHIEVED 98 PER CENT - WONG

GEORGE TOWN, March 11 (Bernama) -- The expansion of Penang International Airport (PIA) is progressing in phases, with two components already underway as the airport prepares to handle rising passenger traffic and strengthen its role as a regional aviation hub.

State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the airport expansion plan is divided into three main phases, with phase one, covering ancillary buildings and associated works has achieved 98 per cent.

“Phase two, covering the construction of the apron and airside facilities works, has achieved 54 per cent meanwhile phase three, which involves the construction of the main terminal building and associated works, has yet to commence,” he said in a statement today after convening a briefing for tourism stakeholders recently to update the industry on facility upgrades and the expansion progress of PIA.

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Wong said several facility upgrades have also been introduced at the airport to enhance passenger experience, including the implementation of a new auto-gates system for immigration clearance, which currently serves travellers from 73 countries and regions for departures and 65 countries and regions for arrivals.

He said the number of gates is scheduled to expand to 12 each by the end of this year to accommodate growing passenger traffic.

In addition, Wong said a new e-hailing pick-up zone has been established on the ground floor of the car park opposite the main terminal to enhance the experience of visitors arriving in Penang, while the Malaysia National Integrated Immigration System (MyNIISe) has also been rolled out at the airport, introducing QR code-based immigration clearance.

“MyNIISe integrates and replaces the existing MyBorderPass system, enabling travellers to complete immigration clearance by scanning a QR code. The application also allows users to access their personal entry and exit records, providing faster processing than traditional passport checks.

“As a result, there are currently three methods for immigration clearance at PIA: Passport scanning at Auto-Gates, MyNIISe QR code scanning at Auto-Gates or manual counters,” he said.

Meanwhile, Wong said passenger traffic at the PIA has been growing steadily, with 8.31 million passenger movements recorded in 2025 compared with 7.47 million in 2024, representing an increase of 11.25 per cent.

He said the airport currently handles an average of 22,000 passenger movements daily, including about 10,000 domestic passengers and 12,000 international passengers, while managing an average of 179 daily aircraft movements and 1,253 average weekly aircraft movements.

Wong noted that the existing 16 aircraft parking aprons are no longer sufficient to support the increasing number of flights, thus under the expansion plan, 12 additional parking aprons will be constructed, comprising six contact stands connected directly to the terminal and six remote stands.

"Upon completion, the total number of parking aprons at PIA will increase to 28, effectively enhancing operational capacity and providing sufficient aviation infrastructure to support the sustained growth of the state’s tourism industry," he said.

-- BERNAMA