JEDDAH: Work on the new expansion project for King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) in Jeddah will start by mid-2010 as the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has started distributing prequalification documents for companies to present their offers.
The project aims at building a new airport with an initial capacity of 30 million passengers per year on an area of 687,000 square meters, which will replace the existing terminals.
The last date for companies to present their offers is March 8. The project involves the design, engineering, supply, furnishing, installation, rehabilitation, construction, testing and commissioning of the airfield facilities and the related airport infrastructure facilities and the upgrading of the airside pavements to receive large aircraft such as Airbus 380s.
Contracts will be awarded to conduct geotechnical and topographic surveys, build tunnels and corridors, rail station and tunnels, baggage handling and conveyer systems, provide surveillance, communications and meteorological systems and build passenger-loading bridges. Airfield works include construction of taxiways, aprons, roads and services and support facilities.
“The new airport is designed to become a fully capable and state-of-the-art facility,” said the GACA in a statement. “It will ensure smooth transition from master plan to successful, profitable operation of new terminal, accommodating future traffic growth efficiently and comfortably.”
About 51,700 square meters inside the airport will be allocated for concessions while 6.5 square-km area outside the airport building would be set aside for implementing investment projects such as hotels, medical centers, hospitals, recreation centers, aircraft maintenance facilities and light aviation industries.
The new airport will be equipped with advanced aviation communication systems. It will also have a railway station enabling passengers to get into trains heading to Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah. It will help pilgrims reach the two holy cities quickly. The first phase will have a parking area for 8,200 cars that will be increased to 26,000 cars in the next phase. The airport will also have a cargo depot to handle three million tons of cargo annually.
In a previous statement, Abdullah Rehaimi, president of GACA, said the new airport would be ready by 2012.
“The main objective of this airport development project is to make KAIA a central airport that would link the Kingdom’s east with the west, and become a major hub for the distribution of passengers,” Rehaimi said.
In January 2007, Prince Sultan signed a SR902.91 million contract with Al-Mabani Company to develop and upgrade aviation facilities of the Jeddah airport. In July 2008, GACA signed another agreement worth SR514.9 million with Aéroports de Paris Company of France to provide design and engineering services.
ADP will design a railway station, which is to be established adjacent to passenger lounges, a multistory car parking building, a general plan for maintenance facilities, roads leading to the new terminal, an internal road network, aircraft parking areas and new tarmacs, as well as investment and commercial areas.
KAIA is the Kingdom’s first international airport, which was established in 1981. Covering an area of 105 square kilometers, KAIA is considered the main gateway of pilgrims coming from all over the world for Haj and Umrah.
