Airport expansion needed to cater for increasing passenger traffic

GEORGE TOWN: With a significant increase in passenger traffic at Penang International Airport, the state government is urging the federal government to look into the airport’s expansion project.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the number of passenger arrival has reached 7.78 million last year, a 7.59% increase compared with 7.23 million in 2017.

“Since the airport is built to handle a maximum of 6.5 million travellers, this is way beyond the airport’s capacity,” he said at a press conference after a cheque presentation ceremony in Komtar yesterday.

Chow said the number of international passenger arrival had also increased by 15.21%, from 1.54 million in 2017 to 1.78 million last year.

He said the proposed expansion plan was overdue as the figures indicated that the airport was normally congested.

Chow said the state government aimed to have more direct fights to Penang.

He said last year, there were new interna- tional direct flights as well as an increased number of flights from current cities connecting to Penang.

On another matter, Chow said the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) had to apply to increase the water tariffs as it needed the revenue to implement five water supply projects in the next three years amounting to RM501mil.

“The additional revenue will be used for these projects. Even with an increase in tariffs, it may not be enough and PBAPP will need to raise funds to implement them.

“The projects will be implemented between 2019 and 2021,” he said.

Chow said one of the five main projects was the implementation of the Butterworth-Penang Island Twin Submarine Pipeline (Penang’s Third Twin Submarine Pipeline Project).

He said the project would ensure more efficient delivery of treated water from the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant in Seberang Perai and would back up the first submarine pipeline commissioned in 1973 as well as meet future water demands on the island.