Faisal, the Emir of Makkah, said Wednesday that King Abdul Aziz International Airport (KAIA) and the adjoining Pilgrim City were undergoing comprehensive and sustained development as part of an overall city improvement plan. He was speaking during an inspection tour of the airport's southern terminal which has been expanded with new lounges and sprawling two-story hallways. The refurbished south terminal is expected to be open in a few days. There are plans to improve the pilgrim terminal as well, and an 18-month project to improve KAIA, said Aiman Bakour, director of Public Relations and Media for the General Authority for Civil Aviation. The two-story south hall is for screening baggage and for departure gates to international flights, he said. An additional 56 ticket counters have been built and 1,300 more seats have been added for waiting passengers. Moreover, there are more clearly marked sign boards to aid passenger movement around the airport. __
