JEDDAH, 23 May 2005 — The $1.5 billion expansion of Jeddah’s King Abdul Aziz International Airport is designed to accommodate the world’s largest aircraft, including A380s, said Abdullah Ruhaimy, head of the Presidency of Civil Aviation (PCA).
Ruhaimy made the announcement at a Shoura Council meeting in Riyadh yesterday. “The project is designed to accommodate the new generation of large aircraft such as Airbus 380,” he said. Carrying 555 passengers, about a third more than its closest competitor, the new “super jumbo” A380 enters airline service next year, bringing with it a need for significant upgrading of airport facilities. Airport development and expansion projects in the Middle East have taken this into consideration. Emirates Airlines alone has 45 A380s on order for delivery between 2006 and 2008.
Leading airport engineers will utilize the Airport Build & Supply Exhibition, which opens in Dubai today to demonstrate to senior airport and civil aviation officials a comprehensive range of solutions for the A380, the world’s first full-length twin-decked aircraft.
The A380 super jumbo will also be the focus of the Second Forum for Airport Pavement Engineers which will be held on the second and third days of the exhibition. The forum will address topics such as runway and taxiway length as well as width, pavement strength, separation of airfield operation areas, gate configuration and the cost involved in updating these facilities.
Organized by one of Saudi Arabia’s leading engineering consulting companies, Gulf Engineering House (GHE), the forum features six experts in the area of airport pavements, including Cyril Fabre, head of the A380 Pavement Experimental Program with Airbus in France.
During his first appearance before the Shoura, Ruhaimy underscored the significance of Jeddah airport as it is the pilgrim’s main gateway. The government is keen to implement the expansion project which will increase the airport’s annual capacity to 21 million passengers.
The expansion involves the construction of two new terminals and renovation of the existing south terminal, a new concourse with 25 gates, three connector buildings and an extensive upgrade of landside and airside infrastructure facilities.
Ruhaimy answered questions from Shoura members on the airport project as well as on the plan to transform the Presidency of Civil Aviation to the Civil Aviation Corporation which will be operated on a commercial basis. He said the airport expansion project had reached advanced stages. The government has asked PCA to conduct a study on the existing airport in order to make optimum use of existing facilities.
The 150-member Shoura yesterday began discussing aviation tariff including service charges imposed on foreign airlines as well as rents for shops and investment facilities at airports.
