KUALA LUMPUR: Airlines operating at Penang International Airport (PEN) should do their part by ensuring that enough airline staff are on the ground to facilitate the check-in process, says Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd (MAHB).
PEN senior airport manager Mohd Nadzim Hashim said airlines must also ensure that facilities such as self check-in kiosks and self-baggage drop (SBD) facilities are operational at all times as it would reduce the long queues and ensure a seamless experience for passengers.
“Checks in the last two days have shown that at least two of the self-check-in kiosks provided by the airlines are not operational and, in fact, some SBD counters have also been used as manual counters due to lack of staff to guide passengers on how to use the SBD facility,” he said in a statement today.
He said PEN had 61 check-in counters and more than 30 were dedicated to local airlines operating.
“However, our daily observation shows that not all are manned, even during the daily peak period between 11am and 1pm.
“Usually only about 70 per cent are being utilised due to insufficient manpower resources provided by the airlines.
“No doubt, this can lead to long queues at the airport,” he added.
MAHB is waiting for a development order approval from the Penang Island City Council to fund and undertake expansion at PEN as proposed in the Malaysian Aviation Commission’s (MAVCOM) Regulated Asset Base framework.
“Construction work is expected to start in the first quarter of 2020 and the first phase of the expansion up to a capacity of 12 million passengers per annum will take three years to complete,” said the airport operator.
MAHB shares fell 10 sen at the close to RM8.37 with 2.57 million shares changing hands. - Bernama