Penang eyes LCCT

GEORGE TOWN: Penang is looking to build a low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT) to cope with the increasing number of air passengers in the state.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng ( pix) said the federal government is talking with AirAsia and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) on the proposed project.

“The talks are very positive, we have to look at different frameworks based on public private partnership (PPP),” he said when approached by reporters at the State Legislative Assembly building yesterday.

Lim said an LCCT can be built in one or two years but the expansion of the Penang International Airport (PIA) would take longer.

The state must wait for the outcome of the talks on the project, he added.

Earlier, when debating a motion of thanks to the state governor’s opening address, Lim (DAP-Air Putih) said the project would be fully funded by private companies as the federal government could not afford it for the time being.

He added that the situation has forced the government to find new ways, such as collaborating with private companies, to build the LCCT while continuing with the expansion work on PIA.

Expanding the current airport and building an LCCT are deemed necessary as the PIA, which has a capacity for 6.5 million inbound passengers a year, is bursting at its seams with 7.1 million arrivals.