JEDDAH, 22 November 2003 — There are no plans for an airport in Makkah, said Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, denying press reports.
“There is no truth in the report,” Prince Sultan told reporters in Makkah after chairing a meeting of Sultan Charitable Foundation.
He said the expansion work on King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, the main gateway for Haj and Umrah pilgrims, will start soon, while the expansion of Taif airport was progressing as planned.
The KAIA expansion project, which includes construction of two new terminals and establishment of 25 air bridges, is designed to accommodate 21 million passengers.
The expansion is essential to meet the growing number of passengers as a result of the Kingdom’s drive to promote tourism and receive Umrah pilgrims throughout the year.
According to a report carried by Asharq Al-Awsat in March, Bechtel Saudi Arabia and Dar Al-Riyadh were to implement the huge expansion project.
Asharq Al-Awsat, a sister publication of Arab News, reported that the Civil Aviation Authority would sign an agreement worth SR5.63 billion ($1.5 billion) with the two companies to implement the project.
The project is expected to bring together all international flight operations in a single terminal, including those of Saudi Arabian Airlines, and facilitate the movement of passengers.
The first new terminal will be built to the east of the present Southern Terminal.
The present Southern Terminal will be renovated for incoming international flights and include a VIP reception area.
The third terminal will be constructed to the west of the Southern Terminal on two levels and is earmarked for domestic arrivals and departures.
Last year, 13 million passengers used the airport, the main gateway for pilgrims and expatriate workers.
Jeddah airport currently handles more than 80 percent of the pilgrim traffic, and 40 percent of air traffic in Saudi Arabia.
The airport’s Haj terminal, capable of serving more than a million pilgrims at a time, handles about 300 flights a day during the peak season.
The Taif airport expansion comes amid reports of plans to divert some foreign pilgrim traffic to reduce pressure on Jeddah airport.
