Penang International Airport: your essential guide (2025)

Penang International Airport offers a convenient and stress-free arrival or departure point to the island of Penang. This compact and well-organised airport might not be served by many long-haul destinations, but it does have excellent connectivity to the rest of Malaysia and parts of Southeast Asia. We’ve put together a guide so you know how to get there and what to expect before you either board to disembark your flight.

Where is Penang International Airport

Penang International Airport (airport code PEN) is in the south-eastern tip of Penang Island in the suburb of Bayan Lepas. It’s about 12km south of George Town and directly adjacent to the Penang Second Bridge.

Driving times from George Town can be longer than expected during rush hour, so give yourself plenty of time, especially if you are travelling on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday afternoon or over a public holiday.

How to get to the airport from the rest of the island

The airport is quite well served with buses and there are a few options available:

• 102 from Teluk Bahang via Penang National Park, Batu Ferringhi and George Town
• 306 from Penang General Hospital in George Town
• 401E from the Jetty to Balik Pulau, calls at the airport

The bus will take at least one hour from the Jetty (George Town) and two hours from Penang National Park. This could be substantially longer during the rush hour and during public holidays. The buses drop-off (and pickup) from Level 1, which is the Arrivals area. If you’re departing, you need to enter the Arrivals Hall and take the escalator or lift up to Level 2 (Departures).

Despite the long journey times, the bus isn’t a bad option if you are travelling alone, have limited luggage and have plenty of time to spare. Don’t rely on them sticking to the timetable and factor in delays. Even if you’re coming all the way from the National Park, the fare won’t exceed RM5 but remember to bring the correct money as change isn’t given.

If you’re in a larger group, or have lots of luggage, it’s always easier to catch a Grab ride, it should be around RM20 – RM40 depending on demand and distance. The Grabs aren’t immune to the traffic jams of course, so you’ll still need to allow plenty of time. The stop-start progress along the main road can be stressful if you’re running late and almost every long-term resident in Penang has a horror-story about almost missing a flight due to the traffic.

It should take anything from 30 minutes to one hour plus. The Grab taxis drop off at Level 2 (Departures) and pick up from Level 1 (Arrivals).

Where can you go

Penang has good connections to other parts of Malaysia (included Kota Kinabalu in Borneo) and the rest of Southeast Asia. To give an idea, here are some of the destinations served

• Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
• Langkawi (Malaysia)
• Johor Bahru (Malaysia)
• Kuching (Malaysia)
• Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia)
  
• Dubai
• Hong Kong
• Singapore
• Ho Chi Minh City
• Shanghai
• Guangzhou
• Taipei
• Bangkok
• Medan
• Jakarta

The main airlines serving Penang International Airport are AirAsia, Firefly and Malaysian Airlines. There’s also a daily flydubai flight connecting Penang with Dubai, which is handy for those travelling to/from Europe as you don’t need to change in KL or Singapore.

What is Penang Airport like?

In keeping with the rest of the island, Penang International Airport is (usually) a stress-free environment and a relaxing place to start or end your trip.

Note that there’s only one terminal at the airport, both domestic and international flights depart from the same place and you’re filtered at the security gates. Level 1 is Arrivals and Level 2 is Departures.

Some of the airlines (including AirAsia and Malaysian Airlines) have self-service kiosks where you can print your boarding pass and baggage tags etc. The main check-in area is small with some metal seating to use before you check-in. As with every other airport in the world, you just want to dump your bags and get through security, and Penang Airport lets you do this quite smoothly.

If you’re flying domestically and only have hand-luggage, you can go directly through to security, there’s no need to get your boarding pass stamped. Police are on hand to check your boarding pass and identification but, aside from that, you tend to glide through.

Practical information: WIFI and ATMs

Free WIFI is available in both the departure and arrival areas. It’s usually quite reliable and the speed is usable; enough to order a Grab or let your loved ones know you’ve arrived, but perhaps save the YouTube videos for when you get to the hotel.

There are a couple of ATMs and money changers in both areas.

Facilities before you go through security

At the departure level (Level 2), there’s a McDonald’s, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, noodle bar and a branch of Nasi Kandar Line Clear, so there’s plenty of places to refuel before your trip.

There’s also the usual array of ATMs, toilets, water fountains and information booths.

Facilities after you go through security

Once you’re through security, and have threaded your way past the ubiquitous shop selling perfume and Toblerone, the domestic departure area is a pleasant place to while away the time before your flight. On each occasion we’ve flown domestically, it’s been very quiet with only a few other flights taking off.

There’s another Dunkin Donut’s, WHSmith, souvenir stall, Lego shop and a couple of snack bars.

The international departure area is a similar experience and, as there are only about 20 or so international flights per day, it also feels quite relaxed. You’ll have access to cafes, restaurants, duty-free shops and coffee bars in case you need a top-up before your flight.

Landing at Penang International Airport

If you’re arriving from the north, keep an eye out of the window for views of George Town, with Fort Cornwallis a good landmark to orientate yourself to. Once you’re on the ground, the small airport size means you’ll soon be disembarking and heading somewhere much more interesting.

Accessibility can be poor depending which gate you’re at. With the smaller airlines, it’s not uncommon for there to be no skybridge, forcing you to disembark via the steps before then climbing another flight of stairs to reach the terminal level. This is especially the case on domestic flights. Check with the airline when booking your ticket and ensure they’ve made alternative arrangements on your behalf if stairs aren’t an option.

Domestic arrivals are simple as you’re deposited back into the exact same area you departed from, so all the food and drink options are the same as when you departed. Follow the signs down the stairs to baggage reclaim, customs and the arrivals area. You’ll see more ATMs, money changers and shops selling SIM cards. Just outside the large exit doors is the Grab pickup point and bus stops, so you should soon be on your way.

International arrivals have a few more hurdles to jump, but the immigration process isn’t usually too bad before you head to baggage reclaim, customs and the arrivals hall. Although we do recommend trying to get a flight that lands in the morning rather than the afternoon, which tends to be busier with flight arrivals.

Onward travel

The e-hailing point is on Level 1 which is the same level as Arrivals. Grab have produced a handy online guide for arrivals at Penang International Airport. You need to cross the road out of the Arrivals Hall, walk right up the ramp, cross the road again, and walk to the right towards the multi-storey carpark. The Grab pick up is located at the entrance of the multi-storey carpark.

The buses also pick-up from Level 1, you just need to cross the road and you’ll see the various bus shelters with bus routes and timetables printed above them.

Airport taxis can also be booked at Level 1 if you prefer the traditional route, but we’d suggest just using Grab.

If you’re leaving the airport during busy periods, the first stretch out of the airport towards George Town is the slowest section so bear with it. Once you’re past the gridlocked area, the drive into the city isn’t usually too bad and you’ll soon be enjoying the beautiful island of Penang.