Penang International Airport (IATA: PEN, ICAO: WMKP), situated near Bayan Lepas at the southeastern tip of Penang Island in Malaysia, is one of the busiest airports in the country. The airport is located 16 km (9.9 mi) south of George Town, the capital city of Penang. Previously known as the Bayan Lepas International Airport, it was opened in 1935, making it the oldest airport in the country.
Penang International Airport is a medium-sized airport with frequent connections to major cities in Asia such as Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta, Hong Kong and Taipei, and serves as the main airport for northern Malaysia. In addition, Penang International Airport is the third-busiest airport in Malaysia in terms of passenger traffic and the second-busiest in terms of cargo tonnage. The airport is also one of the hubs of the Malaysian low-cost carriers, AirAsia and Firefly.
Passengers arriving from the north will have a view of George Town, Butterworth, and both the Penang Bridge and the Second Penang Bridge. Waiting times for check-in and baggage claims are relatively short compared to other larger regional airports. The airport is not crowded and basic facilities are available for users.
Penang International Airport won the Best Emerging Airport (Asia) award in the 23rd annual Asian Freight and Supply Chain Awards 2009 (AFSCA), and was named the Airport of the Year (below 15 million passengers annually) in the 2009 Frost and Sullivan Asia Pacific Aerospace and Defence Awards.
Video Penang International Airport
History
The airport, then named Bayan Lepas International Airport, was completed in 1935, when Penang was part of the British crown colony of the Straits Settlements.
When the Imperial Japanese Army attacked Penang in December 1941, the airport was one of the first places to be hit by Japanese air raids. The Japanese sought to neutralise the British and Australian air force units by targeting all airfields in Penang, including RAF Butterworth and the Bayan Lepas International Airport.
In the 1970s, a major expansion of the airport was carried out, during which a terminal building of Minangkabau architecture was built and the runway extended to accommodate Boeing 747s, then the largest passenger jet aircraft. Upon the completion of the expansion works in 1979, the airport was renamed Penang International Airport.
The airport was renovated between 2009 and 2013, giving the terminal building a major facelift. At present, Penang International Airport is run by the national airport operator, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB).
Incidents
- 4 December 1977: Malaysian Airline System Flight 653, a Boeing 737-200 that departed Penang International Airport en route to Subang, was hijacked and diverted to Singapore. It subsequently crashed in Johor, killing all 100 people on board. The lax security at Penang International Airport, which was under expansion works at the time, prompted the establishment of the Aviation Security Unit by Malaysia's Department of Civil Aviation.
Maps Penang International Airport
Facilities
Penang International Airport has the capacity to handle up to 6.5 million passengers per year, while its cargo centre can handle 360,000 tonnes of cargo within the same annual period. Its two runways are about 3.35 km (2.08 mi) in total length.
The airport also has 64 check-in desks and 11 gates, eight aerobridges and three luggage claim belts. The terminal building houses various restaurants, boutiques and shops, as well as premium passenger lounges.
The airport has been a source of contention between the Penang state government and the Malaysian federal government. In recent years, calls by the Penang state government to expand the airport largely went unheeded by the Malaysian federal government, even though the airport is reaching its maximum capacity of 6.5 million passengers.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Cargo
Operational statistics
Penang International Airport is the third busiest airport in the country in terms of passenger traffic after Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Kota Kinabalu International Airport, and handles the second largest cargo tonnage of all Malaysian airports after Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Notably, the Malaysian low-cost carrier, Firefly, has made Penang International Airport one of its main hubs. AirAsia, another domestic budget airliner, also operates out of Penang International Airport as one of its secondary hubs.
Ground transportation
Penang International Airport is accessible from various parts of Penang Island by public buses. Rapid Penang has provided five bus routes to and from Penang International Airport, making it convenient for tourists and locals alike to venture out of the airport.
References
External links
- Penang International Airport at Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad
- Current weather for WMKP at NOAA/NWS
- Accident history for PEN at Aviation Safety Network
- Penang Sentral Global Website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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