Airport .... to handle 40 million passengers on project completion.
Madinah airport set for Phase One launch
RIYADH, July 2, 2015
A new terminal at Saudi Arabia’s Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah will be opened today by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman.
Built on an area of four million sq m, the new terminal, which is part of the first phase expansion, will handle eight million passengers a year. Subsequent phases of the expansion will increase the airport's capacity to 18 million, and 40 million respectively,
The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has been operating the airport on a trial basis since April, according to an Arab News report.
Phase One work includes the construction of a second terminal, a new passengers’ lounge, a new commercial area and expansion of the existing second runway.
The airport features 36 elevators, 28 escalators and 23 conveyor belts to facilitate and speed up movement of passengers and luggage inside the passenger terminal complex, said the report.
In addition, the new airport comprises local and international shopping outlets, restaurants, and cafes, banking, and transport services including buses and taxis.
GACA president Suleiman Al Hamdan said six external terminals have been built over a total area of 10,000 sq m. These terminals are located close to the Haj terminal to speed up procedures for arrivals and departures, he noted.
According to him, this is the first facility in the world outside America to abide by the standards for energy use stipulated by the United States Green Building Council.
The total investment for the first phase is $1.2 billion funded by the National Commercial Bank, Saudi British Bank and Arab National Bank, under the supervision of the International Finance Authority, a member of the World Bank Group.