GEORGE TOWN: Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has put forward three proposals to address concerns over plans to build an airport in Kulim, Kedah.
Instead of building a new airport, he said, the Penang International Airport could be expanded.
There is already a plan to expand the Penang airport to cater for a passenger load of 12 million – double its current capacity. Instead, Chow said, the plan could be revised to expand the airport to cater to 25 million to 30 million passengers a year, enough for the northern region.
He told the state assembly sitting today that several parcels of reclaimed land could be used for the airport.
One alternative is to build a new airport in Seberang Prai to cater to the needs of Penang, Kedah and Perlis.
Otherwise, he said, Penang and Kedah could jointly own and operate the proposed Kulim airport so passenger and cargo traffic could be divided between the Kulim and Penang airports.
“We want a win-win situation,“ he said.
Chow expressed fears that the Penang International Airport could become irrelevant if the Kulim airport became a reality.
“The Kulim airport will be new and more advance and that can have an adverse impact on the Penang airport,“ he said in response to A. Kumaresan (Batu Uban-PH).
“When the Kulim airport opens, the Penang airport may be forced to close.”
This, he pointed out, could have a negative impact on Penang’s economy.
“The Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone is dependent on a sound infrastructure that includes an effective Penang International Airport and without it, it could have a negative impact on the state’s economy, which is dependent on manufacturing and the services sector,“ he added.
