GEORGE TOWN: Penang International Airport (PIA) will soon introduce the ‘MyBorderPass’ system and Auto Gate facilities for both locals and foreigners in the coming months to enhance immigration and clearance processes.
State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the system is currently in the planning stage with the tender process already underway.
“This initiative will help ease congestion at immigration counters, improve overall clearance efficiency, and reduce long queues during peak hours. Visitors from 63 countries and regions will be eligible to use the Auto Gate system,“ he said in a statement after leading a delegation of Penang tourism industry players to PIA for a meeting with the airport management
Wong also noted that PIA now has 35 Self-Service Check-In Kiosks to enhance passenger check-in efficiency. Of these, 15 kiosks are designated for AirAsia, while the remaining 20 are allocated for Scoot, Cathay Pacific, and Malaysia Airlines.
Discussions are ongoing with other airlines to extend the use of these kiosks. The machines are strategically placed throughout the airport to facilitate smooth passenger flow and prevent overcrowding.
Wong highlighted that the airport recently introduced five Self-Service Bag Drop counters, currently available exclusively for Malaysia Airlines passengers, to streamline baggage drop-off procedures and enhance the customer experience.
“The airport management is in discussions with other airlines to extend this service to a wider range of carriers, allowing more passengers to benefit from faster and more efficient baggage handling,“ he said.
On the PIA expansion project, Wong said that as of mid-March 2025, phase one – which includes the auxiliary building and related works, had reached 32 per cent completion. The project remains on track and is expected to be completed as scheduled.
He further revealed that passenger traffic at PIA reached 1.37 million between January and February 2025, marking a 17.35 per cent increase compared to 1.17 million passengers during the same period last year.
Additionally, as of February 2025, the international flight frequency at PIA stood at 320 flights per week, up from 208 flights per week in 2016, representing a 1.54-fold increase.
With passenger numbers and flight frequencies continuing to rise, Wong acknowledged that the current 16 aircraft bays are insufficient to meet future demand.
“As part of the expansion, 12 new aircraft bays will be added – six with contact stands and six remote bays, bringing the total to 28 aircraft bays, nearly doubling the current capacity,“ he added.
