Jeddah — The south terminal of King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah will be relocated to the new airport on a trial basis before the end of this year, according to sources. Saudi Arabian Airlines' (Saudia) domestic terminal will also shift to the new airport. Preparations are being made to carry out familiarization training for concerned public sectors and airline companies, the sources said. They said that traffic congestion and crowding at terminal lounges — especially during holiday seasons — will end with the relocation of the south terminal. The new airport is in final stages of construction. The conveyor belts, the electric shuttle and lightings on bridges leading to the airport are being tested. Madinah road that connects from the west side to Nuzha and Haramain road will be redirected for the smooth flow of traffic. Minister of Transport and head of the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) Sulaiman Al-Hamdan recently visited the new airport to inspect the progress of work. The new airport, spread over an area of 105 square kilometers, is considered to be one of the most important modern landmarks in the city. It won an award for the world's best airport engineering project at the 8th Annual Global Infrastructure Leadership Forum in 2015 in terms of specifications and modern technology. Its Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower has a height of 136 meters, the highest in the world for an ATC tower. The terminal has a big mosque that can accommodate 3,000 worshipers. There are 220 counters to serve passengers in addition to 80 self-service machines. There is an electric shuttle to transport passengers between terminals. It has an advance system of luggage delivery with a total length of 33 kilometers of the conveyor belts. The four-level parking space can accommodate 8,200 vehicles. Its long-term parking can accommodate more than 4,300 vehicles.
