Work has started on two modern airport projects at Al Jouf and Al Qurayat regions of Saudi Arabia aimed at accommodating the ever-increasing passenger traffic.

This comes in line with its Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation's (Gaca) vision to build modern airports system with advanced services.

Once completed, these airports will handle a combined a capacity of 1.5 million passengers per annum.

Saudi King Salman laid the foundation stone for the airport projects during his visit to the northern region in the presence of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister and other senior officials of Gaca.

The Saudi civil aviation authority had earlier unveiled plans to privatise management and operations at eight of the kingdom's airports as part of government efforts to diversify its income amid the oil slump.

Speaking at the launch, Gaca President Abdulhakim Al Tamimi said: "The launching of the projects by King Salman has given the project an extra momentum in the course of development and clearly embodies the leadership’s full grasp of the population growth in the kingdom."

"These projects are aimed at boosting the kingdom's airport infrastructure and catering to the surge in passenger traffic," he stated.
 
Al Tamimi said the Al Jouf airport project would be built on the Unified Airports Model (B) that can accommodate one million passengers per annum, while the new Al Qurayat airport will be developed as per he Unified Airports Model Plan (A), which can accommodate half a million passengers annually.  

The Unified Airports Model is based on Gaca's ongoing efforts to develop and expand existing airports and create new ones across the kingdom, said the Gaca chief.

"This is a step towards reviving cities; supporting the population growth and enhancing the kingdom’s position as an influential player the civil aviation industry and coming a step closer in achieving full economic sustainability," he added.-TradeArabia News Service