LANGKAWI AIRPORT CAN HANDLE 4m PASSENGERS, SAYS MAHB
KUALA LUMPUR: Langkawi International Airport (LGK) can now handle four million passengers a year following the completion of its expansion by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB).
MAHB on Saturday announced the re-opening of LGK after a year-long airport expansion project that started in October last year.
Its acting group chief executive officer Raja Azmi Raja Nazuddin said the LGK’s expansion project was completed on schedule and would increase the airport capacity from 1.5 million passengers per annum (mppa) to four mppa.
“LGK will be better positioned to support Langkawi’s growth as a popular tourist destination, as well as act as a larger catalyst to economic development. It will also boost the country’s position as a preferred global hub,” he said in a statement.
MAHB said the LGK expansion had increased the total gross floor area (GFA) of the terminal building from 15,000 sqm to 23,000 sqm, resulting in a comfort level of 22 sqm per passenger.
It said terminal facilities had also been upgraded to reduce congestion and improve operational efficiencies. For example, the airport car park is larger with 600 bays compared with 400 previously.
“Last year, LGK registered 2.7 million passenger traffic movement with a 14.6 per cent rise in international passengers.
“As of June this year, international passenger traffic movements rose 23.9 per cent compared with the same period last year.
“We are confident this expansion will further facilitate LGK’s growth. Foreign airlines are more keen to operate from, here,” said Raja Azmi.
There are six airlines operating from LGK to four domestic destinations and five international destinations with combined weekly frequencies of 238.