PEN | Penang International Airport

[Magician]

Very nice analysis...

[nazrey]

Airport projects ‘slightly behind schedule’
Friday July 6, 2007
TheStar




Bigger and better:Cheang (in white)
inspecting the upgrading work at the airport.

THE additional 24 check-in coun-ters and another aircraft landing bay at Penang International Air-port will be built by the year-end although the projects are slightly behind schedule.

The check-in counters costing RM11.9mil and parking bay cos-ting RM12mil are part of the RM36mil allocated by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) to upgrade the airport.

Penang Tourism Hospitality Committee (PTHC) chairman Cheang Chee Gooi said both projects were 2% behind schedule due to the unpredictable wea-ther.

The contractors have comple-ted 33% of the new check-in counter project and 40% of the aircraft parking bay,” he told reporters before inspecting the construction work at PIA yesterday.

Also present were PTHC vice chairman Lee Hack Teik, Penang Tourism Action Council officer Bobby Tan and PIA engineering department manager Mohd Nad-zim Hashim.

Currently, there are 32 counters and 15 aircraft parking bays in the airport.

Cheang said the authorities were confident that the construc-tion work would gain momentum soon.

“We have spoken to the con-tractors and they have assured us that the projects would be com-pleted on time,” he said.

Mohd Nadzim said the other upgrading projects included an additional baggage claim carousel and landscaping of the car park area.

The renovation of the aircraft parking bays, including the wide-ning of the taxi lane, would be completed by December next year, he said.

[@rt]

Originally Posted by ssangyongs

With new lembap leaders in the shape of Pak Lah and Koh Tsu Koon, even getting a new terminal building for PEN seems like an arduous task. PEN handles 3 million passengers, Kuching 3.2 million, Kuching got new terminal years ago, i havent heard of any news about replacing the old terminal, even the low cost terminal, they decided to postpone it.

Perhaps the terminal is still 2 million short of passengers, the capacity is 5 million. Let's get more airlines to fill the capacity.

I really wonder why is there a need to expand PEN... I have never seen PEN filling all its aerobridges with planes. The most I've seen was only half full. That is even after PEN removed its Gates 1-4. They are completely underutilised.

Compared with BKI Terminal 1, it's so full of activity and movement. I've seen many times when more than one plane can't find parking and are forced to use the remote parking and passengers walk to the terminal instead. This is even after the completion of Terminal 2 for Air Asia.

As for PEN, Air Asia planes dock at the aerobridges, but they don't allow passengers to use it! We're asked to take the stairs and walk down the tarmac under the heat/rain, and make a long detour back into the terminal. IT'S RIDICULOUS!

Can't even fill their parkings, but want to expand?!! I oppose an LCC Terminal for PEN. If it is built, surely the main terminal will be even more deserted.

Although that, aircraft movement in PEN is actually good because of cargo planes. Expand cargo, yes. But expand passenger terminal, NO WAY.

[Magician]

Originally Posted by @rt

I really wonder why is there a need to expand PEN... I have never seen PEN filling all its aerobridges with planes. The most I've seen was only half full. That is even after PEN removed its Gates 1-4. They are completely underutilised.

Compared with BKI Terminal 1, it's so full of activity and movement. I've seen many times when more than one plane can't find parking and are forced to use the remote parking and passengers walk to the terminal instead. This is even after the completion of Terminal 2 for Air Asia.

As for PEN, Air Asia planes dock at the aerobridges, but they don't allow passengers to use it! We're asked to take the stairs and walk down the tarmac under the heat/rain, and make a long detour back into the terminal. IT'S RIDICULOUS!

Can't even fill their parkings, but want to expand?!! I oppose an LCC Terminal for PEN. If it is built, surely the main terminal will be even more deserted.

Although that, aircraft movement in PEN is actually good because of cargo planes. Expand cargo, yes. But expand passenger terminal, NO WAY.

I hate to say this... but a lot of constructions and so-called 'developments' in our country are a bit ridiculous...

[SEED]

Originally Posted by Magician

I hate to say this... but a lot of constructions and so-called 'developments' in our country are a bit ridiculous...

guess i'll hav to agree wit u.. some of them r real crappy.. and very good at finding ways to stick their head in the sand..

[globocentric]

Originally Posted by @rt

I really wonder why is there a need to expand PEN... I have never seen PEN filling all its aerobridges with planes. The most I've seen was only half full. That is even after PEN removed its Gates 1-4. They are completely underutilised.

Compared with BKI Terminal 1, it's so full of activity and movement. I've seen many times when more than one plane can't find parking and are forced to use the remote parking and passengers walk to the terminal instead. This is even after the completion of Terminal 2 for Air Asia.

As for PEN, Air Asia planes dock at the aerobridges, but they don't allow passengers to use it! We're asked to take the stairs and walk down the tarmac under the heat/rain, and make a long detour back into the terminal. IT'S RIDICULOUS!

Can't even fill their parkings, but want to expand?!! I oppose an LCC Terminal for PEN. If it is built, surely the main terminal will be even more deserted.

Although that, aircraft movement in PEN is actually good because of cargo planes. Expand cargo, yes. But expand passenger terminal, NO WAY.

You have to understand one fundamental difference between Penang Airport and Kota Kinabalu Airport. KK rarely ever receives large aircraft because the bulk of the traffic is domestic. Statistically, the number of international passengers Penang gets is three times as many as KK. I have checked the Malaysia Airports Berhad statistics section in the website. Penang gets quite a number of wide bodies a day and most of the international flights are operated via wide bodies. Singapore airlines alone operates 3 B777 services a day. Thai airways operates A300 services as well and the same applies to Cathay Pacific which operates either A330 or B777.

I do understand that KK has flights to many international destinations. However, most of them are operated by Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia. You also cannot deny that Malaysia Airlines operates most of the international routes as a result of social obligation. Their frequencies tend to be infrequent as well. Almost all the international flights are operated with narrow bodies such as B737 and A320. Even Asiana is using A321 for their flights to Seoul, a clear indication that the traffic volume is low. MAS and Dragonair are using B737 for flights to HKG and Taipei as well. The only international airlines that it receives are Asiana, Silk Air , Dragonair and Royal Brunei. Penang is served by at least 10 foreign airlines and is not dependent on MAS to operate international routes on the basis of social obligation. MAS for that matter does not have international flights from Penang except a daily PEN - SIN.

Therefore, you cannot assume that Penang Airport has very few users because the number of aircraft that uses it is less than KK.

[White_soX]

last year, I saw all gates occupy, even the cargo ramp full, the one that underutilized the airport is AK, so much for their red stairs!

[Magician]

i think talking about number of flights and passengers... Penang Airport has always been under-utilized as reported. Moreover, recently Penang has lost some of its international flights, namely Xiamen Air as well as KoreanAir.

Talking about number of international flights operating from the both KK and Penang airports... I guess both have roughly the same number of different flight coming in and out...

What I think our local authority can do is to promote Penang Airport and perhaps increasing the number of MAS flight out from Pen to other part of the world in stead of the local market.

[chris2007]

Originally Posted by globocentric

You have to understand one fundamental difference between Penang Airport and Kota Kinabalu Airport. KK rarely ever receives large aircraft because the bulk of the traffic is domestic. Statistically, the number of international passengers Penang gets is three times as many as KK. I have checked the Malaysia Airports Berhad statistics section in the website. Penang gets quite a number of wide bodies a day and most of the international flights are operated via wide bodies. Singapore airlines alone operates 3 B777 services a day. Thai airways operates A300 services as well and the same applies to Cathay Pacific which operates either A330 or B777.

I do understand that KK has flights to many international destinations. However, most of them are operated by Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia. You also cannot deny that Malaysia Airlines operates most of the international routes as a result of social obligation. Their frequencies tend to be infrequent as well. Almost all the international flights are operated with narrow bodies such as B737 and A320. Even Asiana is using A321 for their flights to Seoul, a clear indication that the traffic volume is low. MAS and Dragonair are using B737 for flights to HKG and Taipei as well. The only international airlines that it receives are Asiana, Silk Air , Dragonair and Royal Brunei. Penang is served by at least 10 foreign airlines and is not dependent on MAS to operate international routes on the basis of social obligation. MAS for that matter does not have international flights from Penang except a daily PEN - SIN.

Therefore, you cannot assume that Penang Airport has very few users because the number of aircraft that uses it is less than KK.

I agree with you. One more point is that Penang International Airport is quite busy between 7:00am-10:00am and 8:0pm-10:30pm when MAS, SIA, Catahy Pacific, China Southern Airlines, Thai Airways flights land and take off at these periods.

[chris2007]

I think it is hard to persuade MAS to operate any new international services from Penang. If MAS introduces international flight from Penang one day, I would not be suprised if that flight is then discontinued after some time because MAS has always been "tahi-tahi ayam panas". So, Penang should lure more foreign airlines rather than relying on MAS.

[Magician]

In fact... Penang airport manages to lure some of the big players in the aviation market... SIA, Cathay Pacific and Thai Airways...

[globocentric]

Originally Posted by chris2007

I think it is hard to persuade MAS to operate any new international services from Penang. If MAS introduces international flight from Penang one day, I would not be suprised if that flight is then discontinued after some time because MAS has always been "tahi-tahi ayam panas". So, Penang should lure more foreign airlines rather than relying on MAS.

I think MAS in general has problems competing with other airlines that fly the same route as them. They used to fly PEN - HKG and PEN - BKK before surrendering them to Cathay and Thai. I wonder how long they can survive if KLIA is not underserved by foreign Airlines. KLIA for example is only served by two European carriers whereas SIN and Bangkok is served by at least 7

[chris2007]

Originally Posted by Magician

In fact... Penang airport manages to lure some of the big players in the aviation market... SIA, Cathay Pacific and Thai Airways...

Yes, but it is not enough. May be I'm a bit greedy..haha...I hope to see more other airlines such as British Airways, Qantas, Gulf Air, Emirates, JAL, Air China to fly in. Never mind, I keep on dreaming and hope my dream may come true in future.....

[Magician]

Originally Posted by chris2007

Yes, but it is not enough. May be I'm a bit greedy..haha...I hope to see more other airlines such as British Airways, Qantas, Gulf Air, Emirates, JAL, Air China to fly in. Never mind, I keep on dreaming and hope my dream may come true in future.....

Of course I agree with you chris2007... I would really love to see more and more airlines coming into Penang Airport... But... ai... I am sad to say... our local government is not working hard enough!!!

Oh I forgot about China Airlines and China Southern Airlines!!!

[tbc]

Originally Posted by globocentric

..... KK has flights to many international destinations. However, most of them are operated by Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia. You also cannot deny that Malaysia Airlines operates most of the international routes as a result of social obligation. Their frequencies tend to be infrequent as well. Almost all the international flights are operated with narrow bodies such as B737 and A320. Even Asiana is using A321 for their flights to Seoul, a clear indication that the traffic volume is low. MAS and Dragonair are using B737 for flights to HKG and Taipei as well. The only international airlines that it receives are Asiana, Silk Air , Dragonair and Royal Brunei .....

You want to research a bit more (suggest airliners.net and malaysia wings) ?

[Arkdriver]

some of the comment are well said, especially globocentric. For me i still stand for LCCT for Penang. If only they build Air Asia will agree to set up a hub in Penang and fly to India, Hong Kong, Macau and Chinese cities. I used AK, MH and SQ in PEN i agree with AK to use the stairs. It's their cost structure, if u are not happy, you can pay extra bucks to get MH flight. As for me, LCCT for PEN means more opportunities to be close to my family without the need of shuttling between SIN and PEN every week.

[YeahWho]

There must be enough demand for certain international routes. Or else, SIA won't fly 3 times a day to PEN with a wide bodied plane as mentioned. I believe many of the PEN-SIN pax. are going for a transit in S'pore. So, M'sian or Penang gov't in particular must conduct a thorough research regarding the major final destinations these pax. are going and creating new routes based on this. MAS should take advantage of Malaysia being in the middle of the Kangaroo Route and use PEN as another option for the OZ/NZ/European pax. Somebody had mentioned earlier that LON-PEN-SYD is not viable but LON-PEN-KUL is more viable. I disagree. If a pax's final stop is in OZ or NZ, then he would straight away fly to KUL or even SIN for transit instead of makeing another stop in PEN. Hence, IMO, If MAS flies from PEN to London, Paris, Sydney, Melbourne, and Auckland, it already taps into abt. 10 Mil. pax in the OZ/NZ region and > 10 Mil. pax in the London-Paris region. Keep in mind that Singapore is more known as a transit hub because of its strategic location. If it can do it, why can't we? Also, if MAS fly straight from PEN to TPE, many North M'sian can fly to LAX w/ the PEN-TPE-LAX connection. Otherwise, I'm sure many Penangites will choose SIN over KUL for transit. And that's the reason why China Airline does so well flying to PEN even though they have a bad safety record because it provides options to get connected to many North American destinations such as Seattle, LAX, SFO, and Vancouver. So does Cathay.

Also, the government better make sure they don't waste the tax payers' money by building a monorail connecting to Bayan Lepas and 5-10 yrs later, they decide to build a new airport elsewhere. They should first make sure if the current airport can be expanded to handle may be 20 Mil. pax. in 30-50 yrs time. If not, I would rather they relocate the current airport now, reserve the land for future expansion and connect the monorail to the new airport. Build it now rather than waste tens of millions later.

[YeahWho]

Don't rely on foreign airlines first. MAS should tap into our own market. If other airlines see us succeed, they will follow suit.

[YeahWho]

Originally Posted by chris2007

Yes, but it is not enough. May be I'm a bit greedy..haha...I hope to see more other airlines such as British Airways, Qantas, Gulf Air, Emirates, JAL, Air China to fly in. Never mind, I keep on dreaming and hope my dream may come true in future.....

Don't forget BA and Qantas just pulled out from KUL years ago. If they are to reenter M'sia, KUL will be their first choice. But it is good to MAS though because nobody is competing with it, of course bad to us as customers.

[White_soX]

air china likely, I doubt BA will fly to KUL again, they did show interest in media years ago, but I think that just free publicity.