GEORGE TOWN, Feb 12 — The Penang International Airport’s capacity will be doubled to support 12 million passengers by 2029 after the implementation of a RM700 million expansion plan, the Penang Federal Action Council announced today.
Its chairman Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Osman said the current airport maximum capacity is only six million passengers.
He said the airport expansion project will be implemented in three phases.
“Now, we are in the process of planning the concept of the project before a tender is called to implement the project,” he said in a press conference earlier today.
The first phase, which costs about RM30 million, involves optimising the airport space.
“The second phase will involve the construction of a seven-storey multilevel carpark which will cost about RM90 million,” he said.
The third and final phase of the project will involve the overall expansion of the whole airport.
“The overall project will take three to four years to complete,” he said.
He said the design for the expansion is expected to be completed this year while expansion works is expected to start next year.
Other than the airport expansion, Zainal Abidin said Putrajaya has also allocated RM1.3 billion for projects in the health sector in the northern region.
“Amongst the projects that are being planned included the construction of specialist clinics and new wards in hospitals here,” he said.
He said RM500 million of the allocation will be used to build 14 specialist clinics and operating theatres in Penang, Kedah and north Perak.
“We are still finalising the design for the project and we are expected to call for tender for the project soon,” he said.
The RM1.3 billion also included a RM300 million project to expand the children and women’s wards in government hospitals and also the RM498 million upgrade and expansion of the Seberang Jaya Hospital.
The expansion and upgrading project for the hospital is expected to be completed by 2019.
