This article first appeared in Forum, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on February 5, 2024 - February 11, 2024

As air travel becomes more commonplace and a key asset to development, every state seems to want its own international airport. The Kedah Aerotropolis is being promoted to serve the Kulim industrial belt and spur development in southern Kedah. Not to be outdone, the Perak government has plans to upgrade Sultan Azlan Shah Airport (LTSAS) in Ipoh into a regional aviation hub serving Asean cities. If built, the two airports will contend for air traffic that now flows through the Penang International Airport at Bayan Lepas, which is currently the third busiest airport in the country after Sepang and Kota Kinabalu.

Is it viable to have three airports so close to one another and is there a better solution for all parties? One possible solution that has been proposed is a new international airport located just north of the Perak-Penang border, about 40km from Kulim. And there are some merits to the proposal.

Positioning an international airport in southern Seberang Perai will give a huge boost to industrial and residential development in northern Perak, southern Penang and southern Kedah. There is sufficient land, with strong connectivity, energy and water supply, key factors for new industries.

Close to the North-South Highway and the main KTM railway line, rail can connect residents of Butterworth, Ipoh and Alor Setar to the airport in under an hour. The railway line can also be paired with a logistics hub to greatly improve the import and export of key components in the growing semiconductor and electronics industrial segment. For Penang islanders, the proposed Penang LRT can connect to the KTM station in Butterworth, or be expanded to reach the airport directly. A check-in terminal on the island would greatly help as well.

Financially, the new airport can be funded via the sale of land currently occupied by the Bayan Lepas airport. The current airport is already overcrowded and is going to be affected by rising sea levels. Moreover, moving the airport will alter the flight paths and thus remove the height restrictions on the proposed reclaimed Penang Southern Island, improving its land value and generating a higher return for the state.

The land released in Bayan Lepas can create more space for residential use and recreation, while easing north-south traffic congestion on the island. The state government could choose to build a new green administrative centre in Bayan Lepas while maintaining George Town as a food, cultural and historical hub, centred around the Unesco Heritage Zone.

Politically, the move can be seen as the government providing better jobs and economic growth to key communities, as well as a better return for communities and landowners in the surrounding areas, as well as a move to balance between the two parts of Penang — island and mainland. It will also send a powerful political signal to voters in Perak and Kedah that the government can deliver on much-needed quality jobs and economic improvements, while pacifying the request for international airports in each state.

With the ongoing deliberations on the National Airport Strategic Plan as well as the Penang LRT alignment, it is important to think this through and have a plan that can catalyse development in the northern region. If we can put aside short-term political interests, an airport that serves three states is an obvious and viable solution, as opposed to three international airports competing against each other.

Having taken a break from running a media company, Premesh Chandran is looking out for interesting ways to make Malaysia better in the decades ahead

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