JEDDAH: The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has completed preliminary designs for the first generation of airports to serve small populations across the country, said Engineer Abdullah Rahaimy, President of GACA. He said the first of these airports will be built in Qunfudha. The money for the construction has already been included in the authority's budget for the year 2011 to 2012. He said studies are underway to build such airports in other regions with a lower population density. Rahaimy said a new airport named “King Abdul Aziz Airport” will be constructed in Jizan at an approved site. The allocation for the airport's general plan has been approved. The airport will include all the necessary infrastructure. He said the Kingdom has witnessed unprecedented modernization of infrastructure, equipment, telecommunication systems and other installations. “These achievements are not limited to the construction of new airports and the development of existing airports but also include other activities such as security, safety and regulations governing the work in this vital sector. Added to this is the air navigation which includes complicated systems and projects.” He said a series of developmental projects are being carried out at the country's airports. The cost of these 34 developmental projects is SR2.5 billion. Some of these projects have already finished. He said the new project of King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah will increase the airport's accommodation capacity and that the SR27 billion project will finish in three years' time. The foundation stone for the project was recently laid by Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General. Rahaimy said arrangements are underway for the construction of Prince Muhammad International Airport in Madina according to the BOT “Buy, Operate and Transfer” system. He said the new airport has been designed to accommodate eight million passengers during the first phase and 12 million passengers in the second stage. The project will be offered for public bid in the middle of this year. He said GACA is currently working on the master plan for the development of King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh.
