For illustration only

Penang International Airport will soon see the construction of the Mitsui Outlet, a premium shopping mall, on the vacant land in front of its multi-storey car park. This was revealed by Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin after a briefing by the airport management on the expansion plans and progress of the airport.

The Mitsui Outlet was originally planned to be built before the pandemic, but due to traffic issues at the airport, the project was put on hold. Sim said that the construction of the mall and the airport expansion project will be carried out simultaneously.

He added that once the Mitsui Outlet is operational, it is expected to attract a large number of visitors, causing traffic congestion, which is why the traffic issue needs to be resolved first. The location of the Mitsui Outlet will be on the vacant land in front of the airport’s multi-storey car park.

Sim also highlighted the current capacity of the Penang International Airport, which can accommodate up to 6.5 million passengers annually. However, in 2019, the airport received over 8.3 million passengers, exceeding its capacity. Therefore, the expansion project, which is estimated to cost RM1.2 billion, will increase its capacity to 12 million passengers annually.

The airport expansion project includes the expansion of the existing terminal building, which will be doubled in size, as well as the expansion of the apron. The preliminary work for the project has already begun, and it is expected to take 3 to 4 years to complete.

Sim also addressed the concerns of the public about the lack of connection between the new multi-storey car park and the terminal building. He said that a covered walkway will be built to link the two structures.

The briefing was attended by senior officials from Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad and Penang International Airport.