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Penang International Airport

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An IATA airport code , also known as an IATA location identifier , IATA station code , or simply a location identifier , is a three-letter geocode designating many airports and metropolitan areas around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The characters prominently displayed on baggage tags attached at airport check-in desks are an example of a way these codes are used.

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113-505: Penang International Airport ( PIA ) ( IATA : PEN , ICAO : WMKP ) is an international airport in George Town , the capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang . The airport is located at the southeastern tip of Penang Island , 16 km (9.9 mi) south of the city centre , and serves the country's second largest conurbation . As the main gateway into northwestern Malaysia, PIA

226-447: A campaign characterising this as a violation of the social contract and constitution . At UMNO's general assembly in 2002, he announced that he would resign as prime minister, only for supporters to rush to the stage and convince him tearfully to remain. He subsequently fixed his retirement for October 2003, giving him time to ensure an orderly and uncontroversial transition to his anointed successor, Abdullah Badawi. On 29 October 2003,

339-580: A career in medicine, becoming a physician. His involvement in politics began when he joined the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), Malaysia's leading political party advocating Malay interests. His dedication to the party led him to enter the parliament of Malaysia in the 1964 general election , where he served one term before losing his seat. His relationship with the then-Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman , deteriorated, leading to his expulsion from UMNO. During his time outside

452-421: A leading Anwar supporter, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi , criticised the government for not doing enough to combat corruption and cronyism . As Mahathir took the reins of Malaysia's economic policy over the coming months, Anwar was increasingly sidelined. On 2 September, he was dismissed as deputy prime minister and finance minister and promptly expelled from UMNO. No immediate reasons were given for the dismissal. However,

565-413: A local coach criticised his decision, Iskandar ordered him to his palace and beat him. The federal parliament unanimously censured Iskandar, and Mahathir took the opportunity to remove the constitutional immunity of the sultans from civil and criminal suits. The press backed Mahathir and, in an unprecedented development, started airing allegations of misconduct by members of Malaysia's royal families. As

678-581: A narrow margin, receiving the votes of 761 party delegates to Razaleigh's 718. Ghafar defeated Musa by a slightly larger margin. Mahathir responded by purging seven Team B supporters from his ministry. At the same time, Team B refused to accept defeat and initiated litigation. In an unexpected decision in February 1988, the High Courts ruled that UMNO was an illegal organisation as some of its branches had not been lawfully registered. Each faction raced to register

791-550: A new airport is built, replacing the old one, leaving the city's new "major" airport (or the only remaining airport) code to no longer correspond with the city's name. The original airport in Nashville, Tennessee, was built in 1936 as part of the Works Progress Administration and called Berry Field with the designation, BNA. A new facility known as Nashville International Airport was built in 1987 but still uses BNA. This

904-559: A new party under the UMNO name. Mahathir's side successfully registered the name "UMNO Baru" ("new UMNO"), while Team B's application to register "UMNO Malaysia" was rejected. Nevertheless, UMNO Malaysia registered the party as Semangat 46 instead under Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah's leadership. The Lord President of the Supreme Court , Salleh Abas , sent a letter of protest to the Agong, which criticised

1017-406: A series of bold infrastructure projects. Under his leadership, Malaysia transformed from being an agricultural country to a modern, industrial nation. Between 1988 and 1996, Malaysia experienced an 8 percent economic growth rate, during which Mahathir introduced an economic plan, known as The Way Forward or Vision 2020 , aiming for the country to achieve fully developed nation status by 2020. Mahathir

1130-554: A source of contention between the Penang and federal governments after Pakatan Rakyat (now Pakatan Harapan ) – which included the DAP – gained control of the state in 2008 . Calls by the Penang state government for further expansion of the PIA were ignored, even though passenger traffic quickly surpassed the airport's new capacity of 6.5 million. The then Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng raised concerns that

1243-553: A state of Malaysia . He vociferously attacked Singapore's dominant People's Action Party for being "pro-Chinese" and "anti-Malay" and called its leader, Lee Kuan Yew , "arrogant". Singapore was expelled from Malaysia in Mahathir's first full year in parliament. Despite Mahathir's prominence, he lost his seat in the 1969 election , defeated by Yusof Rawa of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS). Mahathir attributed

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1356-689: A state of emergency. However, if he refused to assent to a bill, the bill would return to Parliament, which could then override Agong's veto. On the economic front, Mahathir inherited the New Economic Policy from his predecessors, which was designed to improve the economic position of the bumiputera —Malaysia's Malays and Indigenous peoples —via targets and affirmative action in areas such as corporate ownership and university admission. Like many of his economic liberal contemporaries such as British prime minister Margaret Thatcher , Mahathir actively pursued privatisation of government enterprises from

1469-451: A stop at Phuket . However, the airline has no fifth-freedom rights to transport passengers solely between Penang and Phuket. PIA is the third busiest airport in the country in terms of passenger traffic after Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA). The airport experienced its peak passenger traffic of 8.3 million in 2019, surpassing its annual capacity of 6.5 million passengers, before

1582-499: Is GSN and its IATA code is SPN, and some coincide with IATA codes of non-U.S. airports. Canada's unusual codes—which bear little to no similarity with any conventional abbreviation to the city's name—such as YUL in Montréal , and YYZ in Toronto , originated from the two-letter codes used to identify weather reporting stations in the 1930s. The letters preceding the two-letter code follow

1695-669: Is a Malaysian politician, author, and doctor who served as the fourth and seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1981 to 2003 and from 2018 to 2020. With a cumulative tenure of 24 years, making him the longest-serving prime minister in Malaysian history. Before becoming premier, he served as Deputy Prime Minister and in other cabinet positions. He was a Member of Parliament for Langkawi from 2018 to 2022, Kubang Pasu from 1974 to 2004, and Kota Star Selatan from 1964 to 1969. His political career spanned more than 78 years, from joining protests opposing citizenship policies for non-Malays in

1808-600: Is available. However, many railway administrations have their own list of codes for their stations, such as the list of Amtrak station codes . Airport codes arose out of the convenience that the practice brought pilots for location identification in the 1930s. Initially, pilots in the United States used the two-letter code from the National Weather Service (NWS) for identifying cities. This system became unmanageable for cities and towns without an NWS identifier, and

1921-518: Is different from the name in English, yet the airport code represents only the English name. Examples include: Due to scarcity of codes, some airports are given codes with letters not found in their names: The use of 'X' as a filler letter is a practice to create three-letter identifiers when more straightforward options were unavailable: Some airports in the United States retained their NWS ( National Weather Service ) codes and simply appended an X at

2034-650: Is governed by IATA Resolution 763, and it is administered by the IATA's headquarters in Montreal , Canada. The codes are published semi-annually in the IATA Airline Coding Directory. IATA provides codes for airport handling entities, and for certain railway stations. Alphabetical lists of airports sorted by IATA code are available. A list of railway station codes , shared in agreements between airlines and rail lines such as Amtrak , SNCF , and Deutsche Bahn ,

2147-513: Is in conjunction to rules aimed to avoid confusion that seem to apply in the United States, which state that "the first and second letters or second and third letters of an identifier may not be duplicated with less than 200 nautical miles separation." Thus, Washington, D.C. area's three airports all have radically different codes: IAD for Washington–Dulles , DCA for Washington–Reagan (District of Columbia Airport), and BWI for Baltimore (Baltimore–Washington International, formerly BAL). Since HOU

2260-532: Is not followed outside the United States: In addition, since three letter codes starting with Q are widely used in radio communication, cities whose name begins with "Q" also had to find alternate codes, as in the case of: IATA codes should not be confused with the FAA identifiers of U.S. airports. Most FAA identifiers agree with the corresponding IATA codes, but some do not, such as Saipan , whose FAA identifier

2373-440: Is revered in developing and Islamic nations for Malaysia's economic progress and support of liberal Muslim values . He also champions Malay nationalism , although he has evolved from supporting " Ketuanan Melayu " to advocating a " Bangsa Malaysia " that assimilates non-Malays into Malay culture , strictly rejecting multiculturalism . He criticizes neoliberalism and Western influence , controversially suggesting that

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2486-510: Is the third busiest airport in Malaysia in terms of passenger traffic, recording nearly 6.8 million tourist arrivals in 2023 alone. It is also the second busiest in the country by cargo handled and the highest in terms of export value, with RM365 billion in exports in 2023 . Additionally, the airport is the main hub for local budget airline Firefly and one of AirAsia 's operating bases. The airport, then named Bayan Lepas International Airport ,

2599-416: Is used for William P. Hobby Airport , the new Houston–Intercontinental became IAH. The code BKK was originally assigned to Bangkok–Don Mueang and was later transferred to Suvarnabhumi Airport , while the former adopted DMK. The code ISK was originally assigned to Gandhinagar Airport (Nashik's old airport) and later on transferred to Ozar Airport (Nashik's current airport). Shanghai–Hongqiao retained

2712-635: The 1990 election . Semangat 46 failed to make any headway outside Razaleigh's home state of Kelantan. The expiry of the Malaysian New Economic Policy (NEP) in 1990 allowed Mahathir to outline his economic vision for Malaysia. In 1991, he announced Vision 2020 , under which Malaysia would aim to become a fully developed country within 30 years. The target would require average economic growth of approximately seven per cent of gross domestic product per annum. One of Vision 2020's features would be to gradually break down ethnic barriers. Vision 2020

2825-508: The 1MDB corruption scandal in 2016, joining BERSATU and leading the Pakatan Harapan opposition coalition to victory in the 2018 general election . During his second tenure , he pledged to investigate the 1MDB scandal, combat corruption, and cut spending on large infrastructure projects. He also secured the pardon and release of Anwar Ibrahim . Mahathir resigned in 2020 amidst a political crisis . Despite losing his parliamentary seat in

2938-460: The 2022 general election , he remained active in politics and shifted party affiliation several times. Mahathir's political views have shifted throughout his life, and are shaped by his Malay nationalism and Islamic religious beliefs . Initially, he was aligned with Third-Worldism in the 1980s and later advocated for " Asian values " and globalization . He has consistently maintained Islamic political views throughout his political career. He

3051-630: The Abdul Razak government , returning to UMNO's Supreme Council in 1973. He was appointed to Cabinet in 1974 as the Minister for Education . He returned to the House of Representatives in the 1974 election , winning the Kedah-based seat of Kubang Pasu unopposed. One of his first acts as Minister for Education was to introduce greater government control over Malaysia's universities , despite strong opposition from

3164-482: The Asian financial crisis . The 1997 Southeast Asian haze , the worst haze event in history caused by Indonesian forest fires , was a major air pollution crisis for the country; Mahathir launched a cross-border firefighting operation in response. In 1997, the Asian financial crisis threatened to devastate Malaysia's economy. The value of the ringgit plummeted due to currency speculation, foreign investment fled, and

3277-471: The Bangsa Malaysia policy, which aimed to facilitate greater representation of non-Malay ethnicities in Malaysia . Mahathir's government cut corporate taxes and liberalised financial regulations to attract foreign investment. The economy grew by over nine per cent per annum until 1998, prompting other developing countries to emulate Mahathir's policies. Much credit for Malaysia's economic development in

3390-714: The British grouped the Malay states and the Straits Settlements into the Malayan Union , and granted citizenship to non-Malays. This caused major backlash from Malays and a wave of Malay nationalism swept across the country. Mahathir became politically activated by these changes, joining protests and activism against the new citizenship policies. Mahathir later argued for affirmative action for Malays at medical college. While at college, he contributed to The Straits Times under

3503-561: The Canadian transcontinental railroads were built, each station was assigned its own two-letter Morse code : When the Canadian government established airports, it used the existing railway codes for them as well. If the airport had a weather station, authorities added a "Y" to the front of the code, meaning "Yes" to indicate it had a weather station or some other letter to indicate it did not. When international codes were created in cooperation with

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3616-465: The Internal Security Act . This included journalist Samad Ismail and Abdullah Ahmad , who was a former deputy minister in the former government but was suspected of being an underground communist . He appointed Musa Hitam as deputy prime minister. Mahathir exercised caution in his first two years in power, consolidating UMNO's leadership and, with victory in the 1982 general election ,

3729-526: The Malayan Union in the 1940s to forming the Gerakan Tanah Air coalition in 2022. He was granted the soubriquet "Father of Modernisation" (" Bapa Pemodenan ") for his pivotal role in transforming the country's economy and infrastructure. At the age of 99, he is currently the oldest living former Malaysian prime minister. Born and raised in Alor Setar , Kedah, Mahathir excelled in his studies and pursued

3842-471: The National Justice Party ( Keadilan ) to contest in the 1999 election . UMNO lost 18 seats and two state governments as large numbers of Malays voted for PAS or Keadilan in protest of Anwar's treatment. In September 2001, debate aroused after Mahathir announced that Malaysia was already an Islamic state ; this caused uneasiness among non-Muslims in Malaysia, whilst the opposition DAP launched

3955-634: The US government was involved in the 9/11 attacks and a group of international elites control every aspects of life with the aim of establishing global hegemony . He has also been accused of antisemitism for his comments , which include stereotypes about Jews' financial skills and media control . On environmental issues, he criticizes the Global North countries for " eco-imperialism " and defends Malaysia's palm oil industry as sustainable, despite international scrutiny linking it to deforestation . Mahathir

4068-621: The West . As prime minister, he was an advocate of Asian values and development models , and was particularly prominent across the Muslim world . In 2002, Mahathir announced his intention to resign as Prime Minister, officially stepping down in 2003 after 22 years in office, but remained politically influential and was critical of his successors. Mahathir also served as the Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) from 2004 to 2016. He quit UMNO over

4181-509: The outbreak of COVID-19 caused global disruptions in air travel. In 2023, PIA recorded nearly 6.8 million passengers, compared to 4.275 million in 2022. The PIA–KLIA route is one of the busiest air corridors in Malaysia, having flown 2.2 million passengers in 2019. Additionally, the PIA– Changi corridor is estimated to be the third busiest among Malaysia's ASEAN routes, with around 300,000 passengers flown throughout 2022. While it processes

4294-588: The 1970s, responded to the resurgence by taking an increasingly strident Islamist stand under the leadership of Yusof Rawa . Mahathir tried to appeal to religious voters by establishing Islamic institutions such as the International Islamic University of Malaysia which could promote Islamic education under government oversight. He managed to draw Anwar Ibrahim , the leader of the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (ABIM), into

4407-505: The 1990s went to Anwar Ibrahim, appointed by Mahathir as finance minister in 1991. The government rode the economic wave and won the 1995 election with an increased majority. Mahathir initiated a series of major infrastructure projects in the 1990s. One of the largest was the Multimedia Super Corridor , a new information technology district south of Kuala Lumpur modelled after Silicon Valley . Other Mahathir projects included

4520-504: The 1990s, Mahathir found himself at odds with Malaysian royalty over conflicting economic interests. In response to conflicts between Malaysian royals and prospective business leaders, Mahathir's government passed a resolution on royal activities. In the 1992 Gomez Incident , Sultan Iskandar's son, a representative field hockey player, was suspended from competition for five years for assaulting an opponent. Iskandar retaliated by pulling all Johor hockey teams out of national competitions. When

4633-520: The 84 seats it contested, leaving PAS with just one Member of Parliament (MP). In 1987, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah , who had been demoted from Finance Minister to Trade and Industry Minister , challenged Mahathir for UMNO's presidency , and effectively the prime ministership. Razaleigh's bid was supported by Musa, who had resigned as deputy prime minister the previous year. While once close allies with Mahathir, both fell out with Musa claiming that Mahathir no longer trusted him. Razaleigh and Musa ran for

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4746-527: The English student newspaper and winning a series of language awards, he won a position in a selective English-medium secondary school Government English School in 1933. With schools closed during the Japanese occupation of Malaya in World War II , he started a small business, selling coffee and snacks such as pisang goreng (banana fritters). After the war, Mahathir graduated from secondary school with

4859-454: The IMF – Malaysia recovered from the crisis faster than its Southeast Asian neighbours. In the domestic sphere , it was a political triumph. Amidst the economic events of 1998, Mahathir had dismissed Anwar as finance minister and deputy prime minister, taking credit for the economy's recovery despite Anwar's policies. Anwar led the reformasi movement against Mahathir's government in response. In

4972-484: The Internal Security Act. Mahathir argued that the detentions were necessary to prevent a repeat of the 1969 race riots. Most of the detainees were prominent opposition activists, including the DAP leader, Lim Kit Siang , and nine of his fellow MPs. Three newspapers sympathetic to the opposition were shut down. Mahathir suffered a heart attack in early 1989. He recovered to lead Barisan Nasional to victory in

5085-482: The Malay community. The book argued that a balance had to be achieved between government support for Malays, so that their economic interests would not be dominated by the Chinese, and exposing Malays to sufficient competition. Mahathir saw Malays as typically avoiding hard work and failing to "appreciate the real value of money and property", and hoped this balance would rectify this. Mahathir criticised Tunku's government in

5198-492: The Seberang Perai airport. Fearing potential backlash from local civil societies and the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP), Mahathir later relented, stating that the PIA would "still be maintained if investors need it". The PIA was expanded in 1998 to accommodate 3.5 million passengers yearly. The airport was further expanded in 2012, increasing its capacity to 6.5 million passengers per year. Nonetheless, it remained

5311-841: The U.S. For example, several airports in Alaska have scheduled commercial service, such as Stebbins and Nanwalek , which use FAA codes instead of ICAO codes. Thus, neither system completely includes all airports with scheduled service. Some airports are identified in colloquial speech by their IATA code. Examples include LAX and JFK . Mahathir Mohamad UMNO (1964–2016) BERSATU (2016–2020) PEJUANG (2020–2023) PUTRA (2023–present) Alliance Party (1964–1974) Barisan Nasional (1974–2016) Pakatan Harapan (2017–2020) Gerakan Tanah Air (2022–2023) [REDACTED] Mahathir bin Mohamad ( Jawi : محاضر بن محمد ; IPA: [mahaðɪ(r) bɪn mohamad] ; born 10 July 1925)

5424-405: The UMNO presidency and deputy presidency on a joint ticket against Mahathir and his new choice for deputy Abdul Ghafar Baba . Mahathir's Team A enjoyed the press's support, most party heavyweights, and even Iskandar, now the Agong. However, other prominent figures such as Abdullah Ahmad Badawi supported Team B. In the election, held on 24 April 1987, Team A prevailed. Mahathir was re-elected by

5537-481: The United States, because "Y" was seldom used in the United States, Canada simply used the weather station codes for its airports, changing the "Y" to a "Z" if it conflicted with an airport code already in use. The result is that most major Canadian airport codes start with "Y" followed by two letters in the city's name (for example, YOW for O tta w a , YWG for W innipe g , YYC for C algar y , or YVR for V ancouve r ), whereas other Canadian airports append

5650-403: The academic community. He moved to limit politics on university campuses, giving his ministry the power to discipline students and academics who were politically active and making scholarships for students conditional on the avoidance of politics. In 1975, Mahathir ran for one of the three vice-presidencies of UMNO. The contest was regarded as a struggle for the party's leadership succession, as

5763-440: The airport itself instead of the city it serves, while another code is reserved which refers to the city itself which can be used to search for flights to any of its airports. For instance: Or using a code for the city in one of the major airports and then assigning another code to another airport: When different cities with the same name each have an airport, they need to be assigned different codes. Examples include: Sometimes,

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5876-411: The airport's expansion. In 2024, it was announced that the PIA's expansion will entail the addition of new infrastructure and an upgrade of the main terminal. The expansion aims to increase the aircraft capacity from 16 to 28 at any given time. The Mutiara line , a proposed light rail system expected to be completed by 2030, will also incorporate a station at the airport. : This flight operates with

5989-418: The airport's former name, such as Orlando International Airport 's MCO (for Mc C o y Air Force Base), or Chicago's O'Hare International Airport , which is coded ORD for its original name: Or char d Field. In rare cases, the code comes from the airport's unofficial name, such as Kahului Airport 's OGG (for local aviation pioneer Jimmy H ogg ). In large metropolitan areas, airport codes are often named after

6102-465: The book, which led to it being banned in Malaysia. The ban was only lifted in 1981 under Mahathir's premiership. Academics R. S. Milne and Diane K. Mauzy argue that Mahathir's relentless attacks were the principal cause of Tunku Abdul Rahman's downfall and subsequent resignation as prime minister in 1970. Tunku's successor Abdul Razak Hussein encouraged Mahathir to return to UMNO and appointed him Senator for Kedah in 1973. Mahathir rose quickly in

6215-408: The cabinet paid tribute to Mahathir for his invaluable service to the nation as Prime Minister for the last 22 years. He also received a record-breaking outpouring of public gratitude, marked by a 5.5 km-long banner displaying messages from over 50,000 Malaysians. Having spent over 22 years in office, Mahathir was the world's longest-serving elected leader when he retired. For his contributions to

6328-476: The car manufacturer Proton as a joint venture between the Malaysian government and Mitsubishi . By the end of the 1980s, with the support of protective tariffs , Proton became a profitable enterprise and the largest carmaker in Southeast Asia . In Mahathir's early years as prime minister, Malaysia experienced a resurgence of Islam and conservatism among Malays. PAS, which had joined UMNO in government in

6441-491: The code SHA, while the newer Shanghai–Pudong adopted PVG. The opposite was true for Berlin : the airport Berlin–Tegel used the code TXL, while its smaller counterpart Berlin–Schönefeld used SXF; the Berlin Brandenburg Airport has the airport code BER, which is also part of its branding. The airports of Hamburg (HAM) and Hannover (HAJ) are less than 100 nautical miles (190 km) apart and therefore share

6554-561: The development of Putrajaya as the home of Malaysia's public service and bringing a Formula One Grand Prix to Sepang . One of the most controversial developments was the Bakun Dam in Sarawak. The ambitious hydro-electric project was intended to carry electricity across the South China Sea to satisfy electricity demand in peninsular Malaysia. Work on the dam was eventually suspended due to

6667-407: The early 1980s. Mahathir believed this would provide economic opportunities for bumiputera and their businesses. His government privatised airlines , utilities and telecommunication firms , accelerating to a rate of about 50 privatisations a year by the mid-1990s. While privatisation generally improved the working conditions of Malaysians in privatised industries and raised significant revenue for

6780-919: The end. Examples include: A lot of minor airfields without scheduled passenger traffic have ICAO codes but not IATA codes, since the four letter codes allow more number of codes, and IATA codes are mainly used for passenger services such as tickets, and ICAO codes by pilots. In the US, such airfields use FAA codes instead of ICAO. There are airports with scheduled service for which there are ICAO codes but not IATA codes, such as Nkhotakota Airport/Tangole Airport in Malawi or Chōfu Airport in Tokyo, Japan. There are also several minor airports in Russia (e.g., Omsukchan Airport ) which lack IATA codes and instead use internal Russian codes for booking. Flights to these airports cannot be booked through

6893-579: The federal government lacked urgency regarding the issue, as it was still considering the proposal for a new airport in Kedah. It was not until 2017 when the federal government announced plans to expand the PIA to accommodate 12 million passengers per year by 2028. While the planned expansion met with delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic , in 2023, the federal government approved an allocation of RM93 million to facilitate land acquisition and infrastructure development for

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7006-557: The first three letters of the city in which it is located, for instance: The code may also be a combination of the letters in its name, such as: Sometimes the airport code reflects pronunciation, rather than spelling, namely: For many reasons, some airport codes do not fit the normal scheme described above. Some airports, for example, cross several municipalities or regions, and therefore, use codes derived from some of their letters, resulting in: Other airports—particularly those serving cities with multiple airports—have codes derived from

7119-474: The following format: Most large airports in Canada have codes that begin with the letter "Y", although not all "Y" codes are Canadian (for example, YUM for Yuma, Arizona , and YNT for Yantai , China), and not all Canadian airports start with the letter "Y" (for example, ZBF for Bathurst, New Brunswick ). Many Canadian airports have a code that starts with W, X or Z, but none of these are major airports. When

7232-593: The form of " YYZ ", a song by the rock band Rush , which utilizes the Morse code signal as a musical motif. Some airports have started using their IATA codes as brand names , such as Calgary International Airport (YYC) and Vancouver International Airport (YVR). Numerous New Zealand airports use codes that contain the letter Z, to distinguish them from similar airport names in other countries. Examples include HLZ for Hamilton , ZQN for Queenstown , and WSZ for Westport . Predominantly, airport codes are named after

7345-400: The government, also sending an open dissenting letter to Tunku for failing to uphold Malay interests and calling for his resignation. By the end of the year, Mahathir was fired from UMNO's Supreme Council and expelled from the party. Tunku had to be persuaded not to have him arrested. Expelled from UMNO, Mahathir wrote his first book, The Malay Dilemma , in which he set out his vision for

7458-530: The government, many privatisations occurred in the absence of open tendering processes and benefited Malays who supported UMNO. One of the most notable infrastructure projects at the time was the construction of the North–South Expressway , a motorway running from the Thai border to Singapore. The contract to construct the expressway was awarded to a business venture of UMNO. Mahathir oversaw the establishment of

7571-501: The government. In 1983, Mahathir undertook one of the first challenges he had with Malaysia's royalty . The position of Yang di-Pertuan Agong , the Malaysian head of state, was due to rotate into either the elderly Idris Shah II of Perak or the controversial Iskandar of Johor , who had only a few years earlier been convicted of manslaughter. Mahathir had grave reservations about the two Sultans, who were both activist rulers of their own states. Mahathir tried to pre-emptively limit

7684-648: The health of Abdul Razak and his deputy, Hussein Onn , waned. Each of Abdul Razak's preferred candidates was elected: former Chief Minister of Melaka, Ghafar Baba ; Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah , a wealthy businessman and member of Kelantan 's royal family; and Mahathir. When Razak died the following year, Hussein, as his successor, had to choose between the three men, alongside the Minister of Home Affairs Ghazali Shafie , to be deputy prime minister. Mahathir's rivals had significant political liabilities: Ghazali, having been defeated by

7797-624: The highest rank and enrolled to study medicine at the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore . Mahathir studied medicine at what was then called University of Malaya, later renamed University of Singapore . When the university granted him an honorary degree in November 2018, he said "I will always value my stay in Singapore for nearly six years." Mahathir married Hasmah in 1956,

7910-459: The independence of Malaya , transportation infrastructure throughout the new federation falls under the purview of the federal government . In 1967, the federal government announced an allocation of $ 2.3 million ( Malaya and British Borneo dollar ) to expand the Bayan Lepas airport. The expansion was carried out in the 1970s, during which a terminal building of Minangkabau architecture was built and

8023-482: The international air booking systems or have international luggage transferred there, and thus, they are booked instead through the airline or a domestic booking system. Several heliports in Greenland have 3-letter codes used internally which might be IATA codes for airports in faraway countries. There are several airports with scheduled service that have not been assigned ICAO codes that do have IATA codes, especially in

8136-737: The loss of his seat to ethnic Chinese voters switching support from UMNO to PAS. Being a Malay-dominated seat, only the two major Malay parties fielded candidates, leaving Chinese voters to choose between the Malay-centric UMNO and the Islamist PAS. Large government losses in the election were followed by the race riots of 13 May 1969 . Hundreds of people were killed in clashes between Malays and Chinese. In 1968, Mahathir had expressed concern over escalating racial tensions in two newspaper articles, and feared preventative measures would be needed to avoid violence. Outside parliament, he openly criticised

8249-492: The main stock exchange index fell by over 75 per cent. At the urging of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the government cut government spending. It raised interest rates, which only served to exacerbate the economic situation. In 1998, Mahathir went against the advice of IMF and Anwar by increasing government spending and fixing the ringgit to the US dollar. The result confounded his international critics and

8362-536: The media speculated that it related to lurid allegations of sexual misconduct circulated in a "poison pen letter" at the general assembly. As more allegations surfaced, large public rallies were held in support of Anwar. On 20 September, he was arrested and placed in detention under the Internal Security Act. Anwar stood trial on four charges of corruption, arising from allegations that Anwar abused his power by ordering police to intimidate persons who had alleged Anwar had sodomised them. Before Anwar's trial, Mahathir told

8475-469: The mid-1990s, Mahathir had become the country's "uncrowned king". His policies during his first premiership were later described as " authoritarian " by the BBC . According to biographer Ian Stewart, by the mid-1990s Anwar's leadership ambition was the most serious threat to Mahathir's power. Anwar began to distance himself from Mahathir, overtly promoting his superior religious credentials and suggesting loosening

8588-596: The ministry promoting Malaysia through overseas visits. However, Mahathir did not have much influence as deputy prime minister. Hussein was a cautious leader who rejected many of Mahathir's bold policy proposals, such as a freeway the length of Peninsular Malaysia and heavy industries cooperation. Hussein remained distant from Mahathir while keeping Ghazali and Razaleigh as his close advisors, who often outmanoeuvred Mahathir to reach Hussein. Nonetheless, when Hussein relinquished power due to ill health in 1981, Mahathir succeeded him unopposed and with his blessing. Mahathir

8701-548: The name UMNO. According to Milne and Mauzy, the episode destroyed the independence of Malaysia's judiciary. At the same time as the political and judicial crises, Mahathir initiated a crackdown on opposition dissidents using the Internal Security Act . Mahathir later declared that it was only used to lock up people accused of riots, unlawful assembly, terrorism and those who have murdered police officers. The appointment of several administrators who did not speak Mandarin to Chinese schools provoked an outcry among Chinese Malaysians to

8814-612: The name of the airport itself, for instance: This is also true with some cities with a single airport (even if there is more than one airport in the metropolitan area of said city), such as BDL for Hartford, Connecticut 's B ra dl ey International Airport or Baltimore's BWI, for B altimore/ W ashington I nternational Airport ; however, the latter also serves Washington, D.C. , alongside Dulles International Airport (IAD, for I nternational A irport D ulles) and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA, for D istrict of C olumbia A irport). The code also sometimes comes from

8927-406: The national economy. In 1976, he advanced to the position of deputy prime minister, and in 1981, he was sworn in as prime minister, embarking on a historic tenure that would span 22 years and transform Malaysia's political and economic landscape. During Mahathir's first tenure, Malaysia underwent modernisation and economic growth when his government initiated widespread industry privatisation and

9040-416: The one they are located in: Other airport codes are of obscure origin, and each has its own peculiarities: In Asia, codes that do not correspond with their city's names include Niigata 's KIJ , Nanchang 's KHN and Pyongyang 's FNJ . EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg , which serves three countries, has three airport codes: BSL, MLH, EAP. Some cities have a name in their respective language which

9153-432: The others for a vice-presidency, lacked the support of UMNO members. Ghafar had no higher education and was not fluent in English. Razaleigh was young, inexperienced and unmarried. However, Hussein and Mahathir were not close allies, and Hussein knew Mahathir's choice would displease Abdul Razak. After six weeks of indecision, Mahathir was, much to his surprise, appointed as Hussein's deputy. The appointment meant that Mahathir

9266-523: The party, Mahathir published his book The Malay Dilemma in 1970, a work that explored the socio-political and economic challenges facing the Malay community and drew significant attention for its bold views. After Tunku Abdul Rahman's resignation, Mahathir rejoined UMNO and regained his seat in parliament. His political ascent continued as he was appointed Minister of Education from 1974 to 1978. He subsequently became Minister of Trade and Industry from 1978 to 1981, promoting industrialization to strengthen

9379-671: The point where UMNO's coalition partners the Malaysian Chinese Association and Gerakan joined the Democratic Action Party (DAP) in protesting the appointments. UMNO's Youth wing held a provocative protest that triggered a shooting by a lone Malay gunman. Only Mahathir's interference prevented UMNO from staging a larger protest. Instead, Mahathir ordered what Wain calls "the biggest crackdown on political dissent Malaysia had ever seen". Under Operation Lalang , 119 people were arrested and detained without charge under

9492-464: The power that the new Agong could wield over his government. He introduced to parliament amendments to the Constitution to deem the Agong to assent to any bill that had not been assented within 15 days of passage by Parliament. The proposal removed the power to declare a state of emergency from the Agong and placed it with the prime minister. The Agong at the time, Ahmad Shah of Pahang , agreed with

9605-423: The press revealed examples of the rulers' extravagant wealth, Mahathir resolved to cut financial support to royal households. With the press and the government pitted against them, the sultans capitulated to the government's proposals. Their powers to deny assent to bills were limited by further constitutional amendments passed in 1994. With the status and powers of the Malaysian royalty diminished, Wain writes that by

9718-470: The press that he was convinced of Anwar's guilt. He was found guilty in April 1999 and sentenced to six years in prison. In another trial shortly after, Anwar was sentenced to another nine years in prison on a conviction for sodomy. The sodomy conviction was overturned on appeal after Mahathir left office. Anwar's conviction drew criticism from the international community and led to a loss in domestic support for

9831-497: The prime minister for his comments on the judiciary and called for them to be stopped. Mahathir then suspended Salleh for "gross misbehaviour and conduct", ostensibly because the letter was a breach of protocol. A tribunal set up by Mahathir found Salleh guilty and recommended to the Agong that Salleh be dismissed. Five other judges of the court supported Salleh and were suspended by Mahathir. A newly constituted court dismissed Team B's appeal, allowing Mahathir's faction to continue to use

9944-474: The proposals in principle, but baulked when he realised that the proposal would deem Sultans to assent to laws passed by state assemblies. Supported by the Sultans, the Agong refused to assent to the constitutional amendments, which had passed both houses of Parliament with comfortable majorities. When the public became aware of the impasse, and the Sultans refused to compromise with the government, Mahathir took to

10057-476: The pseudonym "C.H.E. Det" and a student journal, in which he fiercely promoted Malay rights, such as calling for the restoration of Malay as an official language. While practising as a physician in Alor Setar, Mahathir became active in UMNO. By the time of the first general election for the independent state of Malaya in 1959, he was the chairman of the party in Kedah. Despite his prominence in UMNO, Mahathir

10170-416: The ranks of UMNO. In some cases, Mahathir's government employed repression against more extreme exponents of Islamism. Ibrahim Libya , a popular Islamist leader, was killed in a police shoot-out in 1985. Al-Arqam , a religious sect, was banned, and its leader, Ashaari Mohammad , was arrested under the Internal Security Act . Mahathir comprehensively defeated PAS at the polls in 1986 , winning 83 seats of

10283-474: The restrictions on civil liberties. However, Mahathir continued to back Anwar as his successor until the collapse of their relationship during the Asian financial crisis , with Mahathir abandoning the tight monetary and fiscal policies urged by the IMF. Anwar refused to bail out Malaysian International Shipping Corp , in which Mahathir's son Mirzan had interests. At the UMNO General Assembly in 1998,

10396-463: The ruling coalition. US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright defended Anwar as a "highly respectable leader" who was "entitled to due process and a fair trial" and met with Anwar's wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail . At the APEC summit in 1999, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien refused to meet Mahathir, while his foreign minister also met with Wan Azizah. Wan Azizah had formed a liberal opposition party,

10509-407: The runway extended to accommodate Boeing 747s , then the largest passenger jet aircraft. Upon the completion of the expansion works in 1979, the airport was renamed Penang International Airport (PIA). The airport's new terminal increased its annual passenger capacity to 1.5 million. The development of the adjacent Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone enhanced the PIA's role as a logistics hub. However,

10622-501: The same first and middle letters, indicating that this rule might be followed only in Germany. Many cities retain historical names in their airport codes, even after having undergone an official name/spelling/transliteration change: Some airport codes are based on previous names associated with a present airport, often with a military heritage. These include: Some airports are named for an administrative division or nearby city, rather than

10735-404: The second largest cargo tonnage after KLIA, in terms of export value, PIA's is the highest of all Malaysian airports , with RM365 billion worth of exports passing through PIA in 2023 alone. Rapid Penang has provided four bus routes to and from Penang International Airport, connecting the airport with various parts of George Town . IATA airport code The assignment of these codes

10848-497: The station code of Malton, Mississauga , where it is located). YUL is used for Montréal–Trudeau (UL was the ID code for the beacon in the city of Kirkland , now the location of Montréal–Trudeau). While these codes make it difficult for the public to associate them with a particular Canadian city, some codes have become popular in usage despite their cryptic nature, particularly at the largest airports. Toronto's code has entered pop culture in

10961-401: The streets to demonstrate public support for his position in mass rallies. The press took the side of the government. A large minority of Malays, including conservative UMNO politicians, and an even larger proportion of the Chinese community supported the Sultans. After five months, the crisis was resolved, as Mahathir and the Sultans agreed to a compromise. The Agong retained the power to declare

11074-528: The surging cargo tonnage resulting from industrial demand prompted the Penang state government , under Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon , to propose a new, larger airport in Seberang Perai in 1993 to accommodate the increase in air traffic. In 1997, then Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad announced plans to build a new airport in neighbouring Kedah and close the PIA, overlooking Koh's earlier proposals for

11187-633: The time, the airport served both civilian air traffic and the Royal Air Force (RAF). At the onset of World War II , the Straits Settlements imposed regulations to manage air traffic in Penang, designating specific corridors for aircraft overflying the colony. The Bayan Lepas airport, along with the Butterworth air base , was subjected to aerial attacks by Japanese forces in December 1941. Following

11300-405: The two having met in medical college. He returned to Alor Setar in 1957 to establish his practice, Maha Clinic. He was the town's first Malay physician and a successful one. He built a large house, invested in various businesses, and employed a Chinese man to chauffeur him in his Pontiac Catalina (most chauffeurs at the time were Malay). After World War II ended and the Japanese withdrew,

11413-504: The two-letter code of the radio beacons that were the closest to the actual airport, such as YQX in Gander or YXS in Prince George . Four of the ten provincial capital airports in Canada have ended up with codes beginning with YY, including: Canada's largest airport is YYZ for Toronto Pearson (as YTZ was already allocated to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport , the airport was given

11526-529: The use of two letters allowed only a few hundred combinations; a three-letter system of airport codes was implemented. This system allowed for 17,576 permutations, assuming all letters can be used in conjunction with each other. Since the U.S. Navy reserved "N" codes, and to prevent confusion with Federal Communications Commission broadcast call signs , which begin with "W" or "K", the airports of certain U.S. cities whose name begins with one of these letters had to adopt "irregular" airport codes: This practice

11639-654: Was a dominating political figure, winning five consecutive general elections and fending off rivals for UMNO's leadership. He continued pro- bumiputera policies, and oversaw Malaysia's relatively fast recovery from the 1997 Asian financial crisis . Critics argue that he centralized power by undermining judicial independence and supported a constitutional amendment to remove legal immunity for royalty . In 1987, he detained various activists and religious figures under Operation Lalang , and in 1998, had his deputy Anwar Ibrahim arrested. His record of authoritarianism and curtailment of civil liberties strained relationships with

11752-539: Was a significant enough slight to delay his entry into national politics in protest. He contested in the following general election in 1964, and was elected as the federal parliamentarian for the Alor Setar-based seat of Kota Setar Selatan . Elected to parliament in a volatile political period, Mahathir, as a backbencher , launched himself into the main conflict of the day: Singapore 's future, with its large and economically powerful ethnic Chinese population , as

11865-515: Was accompanied by the NEP's replacement, the National Development Policy (NDP), under which some government programs designed to benefit the bumiputera exclusively were opened up to other ethnicities. The NDP achieved one of its main aims — poverty reduction. By 1995, less than nine per cent of Malaysians lived in poverty, and income inequality had narrowed. Mahathir also introduced

11978-415: Was born at his parents' home in a poor neighbourhood at Lorong Kilang Ais, Alor Setar , in the capital of the Malay sultanate of Kedah under a British protectorate , on 10 July 1925. Mahathir's mother, Wan Tempawan Wan Hanapi, was a Malay from Kedah. His father, Mohamad Iskandar, was from Penang of Malay and Indian descent. Mahathir's paternal grandfather had come from Kerala , British India . He

12091-526: Was born with six half-siblings and two full-siblings. His childhood home, with a single shared bedroom and no electricity supply, was later converted to a tourist attraction and opened to the public. Mahathir began his education at Seberang Perak Malay Boys School, Alor Setar, Kedah in 1930. Mahathir was a hard-working student. Discipline imposed by his father motivated him to study, and he showed little interest in sports. Having become fluent in English well ahead of his primary school peers, including editing

12204-614: Was completed in 1935, when Penang was part of the British crown colony of the Straits Settlements . Governor of the Straits Settlements Cecil Clementi had overseen the nascent aviation development in Malaya . Under his administration, aerodromes were built at Bayan Lepas and Kallang , Singapore . The Bayan Lepas airport was constructed on mudflats , which necessitated the installation of concrete runways to ensure all-weather operational capabilities. Kallang airport

12317-511: Was not a candidate in the 1959 election , ruling himself out following a disagreement with then Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman . Their relationship had been strained since Mahathir had criticised Tunku's agreement to retain British and Commonwealth forces in Malaya after independence. Tunku opposed Mahathir's plans to introduce minimum educational qualifications for UMNO candidates. For Mahathir, this

12430-451: Was regarded as the "finest" in the Far East at that time, while the Bayan Lepas airport was perceived as Malaya's "second airport", enjoying advantages such as closer proximity to Indochina and East Asia compared to Kallang. As early as 1938, the Straits Settlements government estimated that an additional 10 acres (4.0 ha) was necessary for the expansion of the Bayan Lepas airport. At

12543-403: Was sworn in as prime minister on 16 July 1981, at the age of 56. He was the first commoner to hold that office. In an interview, Mahathir remarked that major power rivalry in Southeast Asia is dangerous, but "on the other hand, a lack of U.S. interest is also problematic. It creates the impression that Russia can act as it pleases." One of his first acts was to release 21 detainees held under

12656-437: Was the anointed successor to the prime ministership. Mahathir is regarded as having been a successful Minister for Education and then Minister for Trade and Industry (1978–81). In the latter post, he implemented a "heavy industries policy", establishing a HICOM , a government-controlled corporation, to invest in the long-term development of manufacturing sectors such as an indigenous car industry. He spent much of his time in

12769-403: Was the first prime minister that was not born into the aristocracy or a prominent religious or political family. Mohamad Iskandar was the principal of an English-medium secondary school, whose lower-middle-class status meant his daughters were unable to enrol in a secondary school. Wan Tempawan had only distant relations to members of Kedah's royalty. Both had been married previously. Mahathir

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