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Data source: OurAirports (2026-09-01 Snapshot) · Methodology & Verification →

Penang International Airport

Compiled by Bill Gao

Penang, Penang (Malaysia)

IATA: PEN ICAO: WMKP

Longest Active Runway

10,997 ft

3,352 meters

Field Elevation

11 ft

3 m MSL

Runway Inventory

1 active

Lighted / Paved

Coordinates & Class

5.2963°, 100.2762°

LARGE AIRPORT

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Multi-Universe Rankings & Statistical Standing

How ranks work →

RunwayFacts Published Dataset

tied #377 of 650

In curated primary commercial index

Global Commercial Universe

#604 of 7558

Top 8.0% percentile worldwide

For airports with equal runway length, the worldwide order does not indicate a length difference.

National Standing (Malaysia)

#7 of 7 in MY

#8 of 34 in full national registry

vs Large Airport Median

+10%

Compared to 10,000 ft baseline

💡 PEN in numbers: 10,997 ft longest runway · tied #377 of 650 published · #604 of 7,558 worldwide (top 8.0%) · #7 in Malaysia.

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Editorial Aerodrome Deep Dive: Penang International Airport (PEN)

Curated Aerodrome Profile

Penang International Airport is Malaysia's premier electronics and technology export portal. Its 11,000 ft runway accommodates heavy international freighter flights operated by FedEx, UPS, and Cathay Cargo, shuttling microchips directly to global supply chains. Located at 11 ft above sea level on southern Penang Island, PEN provides exceptional aerodynamic takeoff performance and growing regional tourism passenger throughput.

Runway Layout & Magnetic Alignments

Single paved Runway 04/22 (11,000 ft / 3,353 m).

Expansion Milestones & Predecessor Facilities

Opened in 1935 as Bayan Lepas Aerodrome. Upgraded repeatedly to support Penang's emergence as the 'Silicon Valley of the East', with ongoing terminal expansions to handle 12 million passengers.

Regional Differentiation & Cluster Role

Primary international airport in northern Peninsular Malaysia, located 175 NM northwest of Kuala Lumpur (KUL).

Data Nuances & Operational Quirks

Handles high volumes of temperature-sensitive semiconductor and microchip air freight; sea-level tropical location requires convective weather monitoring during monsoon changes.

📚 Official Aerodrome Sourcing: Malaysia National Civil Aviation Authority · State Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) & ICAO Annex 14 Standards

Verification Methodology →

🔬 Operational & Aerodrome Engineering Comparative Analysis

Longest runway ≥10,500 ft

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Elevation & National Context

Lowland Aerodrome (<2,000 ft)

PEN lies at 3 m (11 ft), #622 of 650 published airports by elevation and 4.9 percentile among 7,558 worldwide. It is 58 ft below the Malaysia median (69 ft, 7 airports); JHB is highest at 135 ft, 124 ft higher than PEN.

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Regional Density & Alternates (100 NM)

2 Qualifying Aerodromes in Vicinity

Closest of 2 paved-runway (≥5,000 ft) neighbours within 100 NM: Langkawi International Airport (LGK), 70.1 NM, 12,500 ft. Next: HDY 98.5 NM. LGK has the radius's longest runway, 1,503 ft more than PEN.

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Runway Inventory & National Standing

Primary Runway: 10,997 ft (3,352 m)

PEN runway: 04/22 10,997 × 150 ft asphalt (asp). National standing: #7 of 7 in Malaysia; KUL leads by 2,533 ft (13,530 ft). +10% vs the 10,000 ft baseline.

🛫 Physical Runway Inventory & Surface Engineering

Runway Designator	Length (ft / m)	Width (ft / m)	Surface Material	Lighting	Status
04/22	10,997 ft (3352 m / 3.352 km)	150 ft (46m)	`Asphalt (ASP)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active

🧭 Comparative Aerodromes (100 NM Radius, ≥5,000 ft Paved)

Great-circle Haversine spatial proximity matching for commercial facilities with paved runway capacity within 100 NM.

Aerodrome Name	IATA	Distance	Longest Runway	Lighting
Langkawi International Airport (Langkawi)	`LGK`	70.1 NM (129.8 km)	12,500 ft	✅ Lighted
Hat Yai International Airport (Hat Yai)	`HDY`	98.5 NM (182.4 km)	10,007 ft	✅ Lighted

🛡️ Source: OurAirports Open Aviation Database, snapshot 2026-09-01 · Provenance →