Menteri besar Mukhriz Mahathir, speaking at a forum here, said he was hopeful that the proposed Kulim International Airport would be operational in 2024.
He said there was a need for a cargo airport as Penang airport was more focused on passengers.
“When I talk to potential investors about coming to Kedah, they ask me where is the nearest cargo airport, and I can’t say KLIA, that is too far.
“When we talk about having our own international cargo airport, they get really excited about that,” he said. The new airport would be 20 minutes from Kulim High-Tech Park.
“As of today, many industries are still freighting their goods by road to Kuala Lumpur International Airport because of congestion at Penang airport,” he said.
Mukhriz said the state was trying to find more land to expand the Kulim High-Tech Park to meet the needs of investors.
He partly attributed the demand to new opportunities from the trade war between the US and China.
“If we are good at taking advantage of the situation, we will be able to bring in more foreign investment,” he told reporters after speaking at a talk called “Dynamic Economic Development and Shared Prosperity: The Kedah Way” organised by the Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute.
“We are looking at new tracts of land for Kulim High Tech Park. That has to be done first,” he said adding that they planned to expand the area to double its size.
He said the state government was attempting to duplicate the Kulim park’s success in other areas such as the Special Border Economic Zone at Bukit Kayu Hitam.
“A lot of trade is coming in from China through Thailand via Bukit Kayu Hitam and ends up in Penang, to continue to the Middle East and those parts of the world, so Bukit Kayu Hitam is extremely strategic.”
The special zone is being developed by a government-owned company and is expected to be completed in 20 years.
Mukhriz called for an integrated border security system with a single clearance inspection for goods.
“When a container comes in from Thailand via Bukit Kayu Hitam, it is checked three times. Once in Thailand, once at our port at Bukit Kayu Hitam and once it reaches Penang another time,” he said.
“A game-changer would be just doing it once. The single checkpoint project will boost trade with Malaysia and Indochina and the rest of the world.”