Facilities
There are ongoing discussions between airport operator, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), Ministry of Transportation, and Asia's largest low cost carrier, AirAsia about setting up Malaysia's third low cost carrier terminal at the airport. In October 2008, Firefly was urged by the Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng to build a budget terminal, termed "community terminal" in order to better cater for the needs of budget travellers. He also called on the Federal Government and MAHB to consider renovating the current airport terminal to higher standards.
Reports in newspapers recently suggest that the new low-cost carrier terminal is approaching final stages. A parcel of land (36 hectares) has been reserved by Penang state government for the purpose. In NCER economic region, there is a proposal to build a new bigger and modern passenger and cargo terminal. An additional runway is also planned to cater increasing air traffic.
In the Mini-budget announced by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who is also the Finance Minister, on March 10, 2009, RM250 million has been allocated for the expansion of the airport.
There is a McDonald's situated right in front of immigration and is constantly inundated with people, and is frequented often by airport employees. A wi-fi hotspot is provided free of charge by McDonald's. As there is no wifi offered beyond immigration, most of the locals wait until about 10 minutes before their flight is scheduled to begin boarding before heading to the adjacent immigration hall.
Read more about this topic: Penang International Airport
Famous quotes containing the word facilities:
“I have always found that when men have exhausted their own resources, they fall back on “the intentions of the Creator.” But their platitudes have ceased to have any influence with those women who believe they have the same facilities for communication with the Divine mind as men have.”
—Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815–1902)
“Marriage is good enough for the lower classes: they have facilities for desertion that are denied to us.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)