KUALA LUMPUR, July 30- The government does not intend to extend the runway at the Penang international airport as the expansion of the terminal had being completed on June 30, said Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Ab Aziz Kaprawi.
He said with the modernisation and expansion of the terminal at a cost of RM250 million the airport was capable of handling flight operations involving wide-bodied aircraft such as the Boeing 747.
“The passengers capacity to 6.5 million people per year or nearly twice from the previous stage (3.5 million) could be enhanced with the availability of modern and comfortable facilities,” he said when winding up debate on the royal address by Yang di-Pertuan Agong at Dewan Negara here, Monday.
The modernisation and expansion of the terminal would also help accommodate the rapid activities of low-cost carriers in ASEAN as well as increase passenger arrivals in the third busiest airport in the country.
Abdul Aziz said the ministry was also teaming up with the Tourism and Culture Ministry to increase the frequency of flights to India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Taiwan.
He said, to date there was a total of 600 weekly flights to these countries, while 107 flights a week from the countries to Malaysia and the ministry would intensify efforts to add flight frequencies from the countries.
– BERNAMA
