We note that the new airport is not an immediate project but one to be undertaken as far into the future as after 2050, a good 32 years from now. By then, the current Penang International Airport would have become so crowded that there would be no room for further expansion. By planning now, the state government demonstrates its far-sightedness for Penang’s future generations.
Certain quarters have questioned the proposals to build new airports in the north, and have instead suggested the upgrading of the Penang International Airport. However, these quarters neglect to note or are possibly unaware that the plans are not for the immediate future, but for a long way ahead. As it is, the Penang International Airport is embarking on another expansion. By 2050, there will be no more room for future expansions. If plans are not afoot today, we predict that the same people who oppose the proposals will in the future blame the state government for not putting the plans in place. They are deliberately pushing the state government into a damned-if-you-do-and-damned-if-you-don’t situation.
It is prudent of the state government to initiate plans to identify a new site. When nothing is carved in stone, it is never too early to plan. A government that plans is better able to weather unforeseen changes. Relocating the airport means more than simply building a new runway and terminal. It also includes putting together auxiliary infrastructure such as new cargo and freight terminals, extending the LRT line, and so on. All these require ample land.
Gone are the days when the Penang International Airport stood quiet and empty. That may have been true in the late 1970s, when the present airport terminal was newly completed. In the ensuing decades, the airport has become increasingly hemmed in by industrial and residential development. Industrial parks that have sprouted up in the vicinity of the airport include the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone and the Diamond Valley Light Industrial Park. At the same time, the demand for housing has created many new housing estates surrounding the airport, including Taman Iping and Southbay.
Building an airport offshore or adjacent to Penang island has many benefits. This has been demonstrated by other airports including Osaka’s Kansai International Airport and Hong Kong’s Chep Lak Kok. Being built away from the densely populated Penang island means the people now living adjacent to the present airport will finally enjoy reduced noise pollution from landings and take-offs, which are expected to increase. Fears of accidents during landing and take-off are also reduced. The site of the present Penang International Airport can also be freed to increase Penang island’s much needed land bank for future industrial and residential development.
AnakPinang has no issue with Kulim and Ipoh building or expanding their airports in tandem with their growing needs. Each town should plan for its own future without affecting the growth of its neighbours. As the largest urban centre in northern Malaysia, the city of Penang island has to make sure that its future air transportation needs are well catered to, and the people are confident that they have chosen a state government that puts this distant view in sight.
AnakPinang also urges the state government to conduct a thorough environment impact assessment to ensure that the placement of the new international airport in the sea will not have severe negative environmental impacts, such as increasing coastal erosion. The area to be chosen should be checked for existing seagrass beds and fish breeding grounds. Noteworthy are lessons on environmental impact by other offshore airport projects such as Chep Lap Kok. In any case, let pragmatism prevail in all decisions pertaining to the new international airport.
AnakPinang is a Penang-based civil group.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.