Departure
97%
vs 95% ▲ 2
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Penang International Airport lies at the southeastern tip of Penang Island, serving George Town and the wider northern Malaysia region. It offers a single very long runway equipped with ILS, making it accessible to large jet traffic as well as suitable for VFR arrivals in good conditions. The field has a long aviation history stretching back to the 1930s and remains one of Malaysia's busier gateways.
Penang International Airport (WMKP) is a large international airport situated on the southeastern tip of Penang Island, serving George Town, the capital of the Malaysian state of Penang. It is operated as part of the Malaysia Airports network and functions as the principal air gateway for northern Malaysia. For a simulator pilot, the field is notable for its very long single runway, full ILS approach, and its role as a hub for Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia and Firefly, alongside a range of international carriers.
The airport sits at the southeastern tip of Penang Island, around 16 km (9.9 miles) south of George Town city centre, in the Bayan Lepas area. As a large international airport it operates with air traffic control services, with Penang Ground and Penang Tower providing surface and tower services respectively.
Penang International Airport has a single physical runway, 04/22, orientated northeast-southwest. It is a hard-surfaced, lit runway of approximately 11,010 feet in length, making it one of the longer runways in the region. An ILS approach is available for runway 04. The field elevation is 7 feet above mean sea level.
Pilots can expect to work Penang Ground on 121.6 MHz and Penang Tower on 121.1 MHz. ATIS information is broadcast on 126.4 MHz. An ILS is available on runway 04 for instrument approaches.
The airport was completed in 1935 under the name Bayan Lepas International Airport, at a time when Penang formed part of the British crown colony of the Straits Settlements. Its early development was overseen by Cecil Clementi, then Governor of the Straits Settlements. The field has since been the scene of notable incidents, including the arrest of two drug traffickers there in November 1985, who were later sentenced to death after attempting to smuggle heroin into Australia.
Penang International Airport today serves as a hub for Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia and Firefly, with other carriers including Cathay Pacific, China Southern Airlines, Wings Air and Thai Airways International also operating scheduled services to destinations such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Guangzhou. The airport also handles significant air cargo, ranking second in Malaysia by tonnage and first by export value, reflecting Penang's role as an electronics manufacturing centre.