Following the successful conclusion of the Operations Management Agreement (OMA) to operate and manage the existing Abu Dhabi International Airport in December 2006, Changi Airports International (CAI) announced that it has also been appointed to advise the airport on the planning of its new Midfield Terminal Complex, an integral part of the Airport’s US$6.8 billion expansion program.  

The new Midfield Terminal Complex at the Abu Dhabi airport is designed to accommodate up to 40 million passengers per annum. CAI will advise the Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) in determining the planning approach for the development of the airport and reviewing the work undertaken by other airport consultants appointed by the client. The scope also includes the development of a second runway. The first phase of the construction is scheduled for 2010.

    MIDDLE EAST  -  IRAQ

      GSG wins security contract at Baghdad Int'l Airport

The Ministry of Transportation of the Republic of Iraq has awarded a 12-month contract with a six month option to Global Strategies Group (GSG) to provide all aviation security services at Baghdad International Airport (BIAP), the latter announced. Since June 2004 GSG has provided this service at BIAP and currently retains 450 plus personnel with a small project management team of foreign technical experts. 

GSG has been working in support of Iraqi national interests since the commencement of its projects in Iraq in March 2003. GSG conducted the Iraqi currency exchange of 2003/4 throughout the country and continues to provide security and logistics support to key reconstruction projects across the country. GSG will continue to facilitate airport operations and aircraft and passenger movements and further assist BIAP in reaching CAT-II standards. GSG provides high-impact consultancy and strategic project management for NGOs, governments and corporations in transitional or post-conflict environments.

  MIDDLE EAST  -  UAE
 
     Dubai International Airport registers 16.17 per cent growth in 2006

Dubai International Airport had yet another successful year in 2006 with the annual passenger throughput reaching 28,788,726 – a growth of 16.17 per cent. The airport had handled some 24.78 million passengers in 2005. Passenger throughput is expected to cross 33 million this year. The growth rate in passenger throughput registered in 2006 means that for the sixth consecutive year, the airport has continued to grow well over an average of 15 per cent annually. A total of 113 scheduled airlines and 25 frequent charter airlines are operating through Dubai International Airport. December was the busiest month for the airport in 2006 with 2.731 million passengers passing through, while just over 2.5 million and 2.4 million passengers were recorded in July and September respectively. April and November, however, remained on top in terms of growth rate with a comparative growth of 21.48 and 19.65 per cent respectively over the corresponding months in 2005.

       Maktoum Airport extension inaugurated in Punjab

Phase-2 of the Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Airport extension in Bahawalpur City, Punjab, Pakistan was recently inaugurated, UAE’s official news agency WAM reported. Accompanied by Pakistan's Defense Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Deputy Ruler and Minister of Finance and Industry toured the arrivals and departure halls, new offices, logistic, engineering and security support centers as well as cargo areas and passenger and cargo aircraft-parking positions. The airport extension project is being supervised by Dubai Department of Civil Aviation. The recent extension to the airport is set to streamline air cargo operations and boost agricultural exports form across Punjab province.

    ASIA PACIFIC - INDONESIA

       Biometrics implemented at Jakarta Int’l Airport

A new exclusive airport service program called SAPHIRE was officially opened at Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. The SAPHIRE program was developed by PT Angkasa Pura Schiphol, a fifty-fifty joint venture company of PT (Persero) Angkasa Pura II and Schiphol Group, in collaboration with the Directorate General of Immigration - Republic of Indonesia. The Saphire Public Private Partnership will be implemented at major Indonesian airports, starting with Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. 

SAPHIRE entitles frequent travellers to fast, secured and privileged airport services to enhance their travel convenience. The passenger's iris geometry is compared with the iris information registered on the chip of the personalised EIS.I card (Electronic Information System for Immigration). The system simultaneously checks the passenger against local checklists. The EIS.I Smartcard contains, besides iris information, also ICAO compliant face- and fingerprint information for interoperability purposes with other Asian countries. Dartagnan –a full subsidiary of Schiphol Group- was contracted to design and deliver all SAPHIRE systems and solutions. Dartagnan headed a team of technology partners.

    EUROPE - CZECH REPUBLIC
     
    Transit Hotel opened at Prague Airport

From January 25, 2007, travellers can stay directly in the transit area of Prague Airport. The three-star hotel Tranzit II, operated by the Acron Czech company, is part of the Airport City concept and has a capacity of 12 rooms and 20 beds. It provides services particularly to transit passengers. As transport results are developing dynamically at Prague Airport, the management of Prague Airport is also consistently expanding the services offered for transit passengers. The project was intended to increase the comfort for passengers on long routes and to provide them with an environment for a comfortable rest. In designing the hotel, the investor was inspired by similar facilities at the Schipol airport in Amsterdam, Holland. In addition to the hotel reception, the hotel lobby contains a self-service food counter with refreshments and freshly heated rolls, which are included in the price of the accommodation. There are also automatic dispensers providing coffee and juice and packaged alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The travellers are provided with up-to-date information on connections and departures.

  ASIA - INDIA
 
     Jaipur Airport gets new International Terminal complex
 
The Airports Authority of India has taken up construction of a New International Terminal Building to cater to 250 arriving and 250 departing passengers at a total cost of INR 950 million in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. The foundation stone for this was laid by Praful Patel, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Government of India, at a well-attended function at Jaipur Airport. The international terminal building will be based on the latest technology of using glass and steel structure to match international standards of world-class airports. The centrally air-conditioned terminal building will have 14 check-in-counters, 10 customs counters and three security check-in-counters, in addition to 12 immigration counters.

AFRICA - SOUTH AFRICA

Airports Company South Africa unveils Flightcheck at four major airports

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has launched an innovative, self-service check-in kiosk, dubbed Flightcheck, at its four major airports – OR Tambo, Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. Already, 36 kiosks have been installed and plans are underway to increase by an additional 70, bringing the total investment to under R 20 million for the 106 kiosks. The kiosks will go a long way into alleviating pressure at the traditional check-in counters and significantly improve the passenger experience as it offers a secure and faster alternative to traditional check-in.

Subscribe to AIRPORT NEWS: Emerging Markets and be among the first to receive news and updates from the aviation industry in emerging markets. Signing up is easy and totally FREE. Enter your email address below to
get started.

Email this page Print this page

To unsubscribe:
 
The publisher of AIRPORT NEWS: Emerging Markets is committed to the non-proliferation of spam on the internet. If you no longer wish to receive this service, simply hit reply to this message and type UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject box.
 
Forward AIRPORT NEWS: Emerging Markets to your business colleagues as the recipients of this e-newsletter are permitted to forward it to business colleagues. If you are a recipient of a forwarded AIRPORT NEWS: Emerging Markets email bulletin and wish to receive your own copy, please sign up by entering your email at the box above.
 
If you are having difficulties in subscribing or unsubscribing to our e-newsletter, please send an email to airportnews@middleastlogistics.com
 
Should you have any industry-related information which could be featured in this e-newsletter, kindly send it to rustu@middleastlogistics.com / martin@aircontracts.com
 
For any other enquiries, contact our customer service team at:
E-mail: airportnews@middleastlogistics.com, or
Phone: +971 4 2976987

Thank you.
 

Disclaimer
We have taken a great deal of effort to develop this newsletter. However,
elog shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken.  

copyright© 2007 elog. All rights reserved