QR System And Autogates Coming Soon To Penang Airport

Penang International Airport's immigration process will soon be improved with the implementation of a QR code system called "MyBorderPass" and autogate services for both Malaysians and foreigners.

According to Wong Hon Wai, the state committee head for tourism and the creative economy, the project is currently in the planning phase, with the tender process already initiated.

“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 autogate system,” he said in a statement.

The airport currently has 35 self-check-in kiosks to increase efficiency, Wong stated. AirAsia has 15 of the kiosks, and the remaining 20 are divided among Scoot, Cathay Pacific, and Malaysia Airlines.

According to Wong, five self-service baggage drop stations were recently installed at the airport to improve the traveler experience and expedite luggage drop-off procedures. These stations are currently only available to Malaysia Airlines customers. The airport is also discussing the adoption of self-service check-in kiosks with other airlines. These kiosks are strategically located throughout the airport to promote efficient passenger flow and prevent congestion.

“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.

Wong stated that as of mid-March, the first phase of the Penang airport expansion project was 32% complete and progressing as scheduled. The airport experienced a significant increase in passenger traffic between January and February 2025, with 1.37 million passengers compared to 1.17 million during the same period last year - a 17.35% rise.

Additionally, the frequency of international flights has seen substantial growth, increasing 1.54 times from 208 flights per week in 2016 to 320 flights per week as of February 2025.



Given the growing airport traffic and flights, Wong believes the present 16 aircraft bays are insufficient to fulfil future demand. As part of the extension, 12 new aircraft bays will be constructed, six with contact stands and six with remote bays, increasing the total to 28, nearly doubling existing capacity, he added.