RIYADH — The first phase of Madinah's new international airport is nearing completion at a cost of $1.4 billion. Initially, the new Prince Muhammad International Airport can accommodate 8 million passengers a year, the Saudi Press Agency reported. As part of preparations for starting operation, Faisal Al-Sugair, deputy president of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), made on Wednesday an inspection tour to the new airport facilities. His tour covered passenger terminals, check-in-counters, reservation and immigration counters, aerobridges and other facilities. The airport will have the capacity to accommodate 11 million passengers when the second phase is completed and 27 million with the completion of the final phase. The airport will have a total area of over four million square meters, of which the arrival and departure terminals will have 153,000 square meters. There will be 16 gates connected with 32 aerobridges, in addition to 64 check-in-counters, and 25 self-service counters. There will be 12 special counters and six waiting lounges for pilgrims during the Haj season on a total area of 10,500 square meters, besides a parking a lot for 100 buses for pilgrims. It is the Kingdom's first airport project being implemented wholly by the private sector on build-operate-transfer basis. A consortium, led by Turkish group TAV Airports alongside partners Al Rahji and Saudi Oger, is implementing the project. The consortium will also be in charge of managing and running the airport after it is completed, and will operate it for at least 25 years.
