MIDDLE EAST - QATAR

SITA awarded $30 m contract with Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways has awarded SITA a five-year, $30 million contract to build and maintain an advanced telecommunications network infrastructure, connecting the airline’s outstations to its reservations host, the latter announced. In addition to IP VPN (Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network), SITA will also provide Qatar Airways with its IP VPN at Airports service which enables access to the airline’s private network over shared airport infrastructure, hence reducing telecommunication costs by more than 30 per cent.

SITA will also connect Qatar Airways common use terminal equipment (CUTE) to its host/data centres over AirportConnect Net, a multi-airport extranet solution. The AirportConnect Net solution allows airlines to share passenger handling facilities while providing them with access to their own host applications for functions such as check-in, boarding pass and baggage tag issuance and other departure control services. The solution can increase an airline’s productivity by up to 25 per cent, while minimizing passenger queue time.

   

Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has been awarded the prestigious ISO 9001:2000 quality certificate for the International Cargo Terminal of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. The certificate, awarded by the Lloyd's Register is recognition of the efforts put in by DIAL to improve customer service, quality control and efficiency. DIAL achieved this landmark within a short span of seven months from taking over charge of the IGI Airport. The air cargo terminal spread over 27 acres of land manages and operates a common user infrastructure facility for storage and processing of international air cargo and provides custodianship to DIAL. With the help of semi-mechanised integrated facilities, the terminal undertakes secured and efficient export, import and trans-shipment cargo functions. It provides a single window clearance for export and import cargo under one roof with a view to facilitate expeditious processing and custom clearance of international cargo.

    MIDDLE EAST  -  UAE

      Dubai Department of Civil Aviation begins major restructuring project

The Dubai Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) has commenced implementation of a project to restructure its organisational set up following directives of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman, Dubai Executive Council. The proposal, which is linked with the Dubai Strategic Plan 2007-2015 announced recently by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, was approved late last year by HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of DCA and Chairman and CEO of Emirates Group. The implementation of the restructuring project began late last year under an internal project team and will be completed over the next three months.  

Under the new structure, the organisation will comprise of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Air Traffic Services, Airports Company, Engineering Projects, and other units – comprising Dubai Civil Aviation Security Authority, Dubai Duty Free, Aviation Club, and Dubai International Hotel. The DCAA will be a regulatory authority directly under Sheikh Ahmed and the Dubai Ruler’s Court. The Airports Company will include Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai World Central International Airport (JXB). The new structure will help to separate the roles of each unit, ensure a clear customer focus and simplified internal interfaces. Furthermore, it will allow for effective leadership and decision-making with greater efficiency, transparency of performance and accountability. 

Commenting on the move to restructure DCA, Sheikh Ahmed noted that the objective behind the move was primarily aimed at harmonising the strategic goals of the departments within the organisation and streamlining the existing organisational structure. "We have performed excellently and made significant development over the last few years with our existing organisational structure. But there is always scope for improvement and I am sure we can surpass our own achievements with this move," Sheikh Ahmed explained.

  AFRICA - SOUTH AFRICA
 
     ACSA opens additional parking bays at OR Tambo International Airport

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has opened an additional 300 parking bays at its popular low-cost, long-term parking facility at OR Tambo International Airport .The parking facility, now boasts a total of 2,400 covered parking bays with 24-hour security. It is situated a short ten minutes away at the Super South Gate near Emperors Palace and is  complimented by a free shuttle service that runs every 15 minutes. People planning to fly out of OR Tambo will find this facility a safe, hassle-free and cost-effective alternative to arranging for transfers or parking at the airport’s other existing parking facilities. ACSA has gone to great lengths to ensure reliability and convenience. Furthermore, the construction of a new state-of-the-art Multi Storey Parkade (MSP) is underway at the moment. The new MSP is being built to accommodate 5,600 parking bays, 1,000 of which will be available in August this year.  

       SEDP/USAID to support improvement of taxi service at Belgrade Airport

Management of Public Company Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport had a meeting recently with representatives of the Serbian Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SIEPA) and the Serbian Enterprise Development Project of the United States Agency for International Development (SEDP/USAID) regarding improvement of taxi service at Belgrade Airport. The agreement reached between Public Company Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, SIEPA and SEDP/USAID will provide for much better and more organised taxi transfer from/to Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, and the project should be realised by the beginning of tourist season.

    MIDDLE EAST - SAUDI ARABIA

       Hajj Terminal at KAIA to be expanded for $250 million

The International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank, and the General Authority of Civil Aviation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced the winning bidder for a long-term concession to expand and rehabilitate a specialized passenger terminal for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims at the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. IFC advised and assisted the General Authority in structuring its first public-private partnership transaction under a long-term “build-transfer-operate” concession agreement, with the private sector partner chosen through a bidding process.  

Under the 20-year agreement, the investor will replace these facilities and improve the level of service to the Hajj and Umrah passengers. Of five bids submitted for the $250 million project, the Saudi Binladin Group, in a joint venture with Aeroports de Paris Management, was selected as the preferred bidder.

MIDDLE EAST - UAE
 
    Key contracts awarded at world’s largest airport project
 
Construction works at Dubai World Central (DWC) in Jebel Ali are on track with the award of two major construction contracts. The turnkey construction of Dhs1.5 billion Dubai Logistics City (DLC) headquarters and office park has gone to Kuwait-based M.A. Kharafi & Sons. Completion is scheduled for March 2009. The contract for the construction of two Central Utility Complexes (CUC) to meet the district cooling requirements for DWC’s phase 1 facilities has gone to The National Company, part of the Kharafi Group. The first CUC will serve the airport area while the second will cater to DLC’s HQ and Office Park.  

Phase 1 of the Office Park will include 10 six-storey office buildings each with a total built up area of approximately 255,000 sq m, in addition to 110,000 sq m of underground parking and 60,000 sq m of an independent parking structure. Meanwhile, work is moving forward on the first 4.5 km A380 enabled CAT-III runway that is scheduled for completion by the end of this year.

    AFRICA - ANGOLA
     
    ADB awarded contract at Bié Airport in Angola

ADB won the refurbishment of BIE Airport in Kuito – located in the centre of the country on an altitude of 1,700 meters, according to ADB Newsletter. Its runway will soon be equipped with ADB approach, threshold and edge lights. ADB will also deliver the taxiway lights, as well as precision approach path indicators, regulators of the type MCR³, distribution panel, transformers, cabling, etc. The airport selected the Airfield Lighting Control System (ALCS) ‘Navigator’ to ensure smooth guidance of its air traffic. ADB’s agent and distributor in Angola is TELECTRINF. 

The future is bright in Angola; not only regarding the cease fire or the economic growth thanks to its rich natural resources such as gold, diamonds, petroleum and large oil deposits. Angola plans the refurbishment of many national and international airports in the coming years. Although much of the country’s infrastructure is still damaged or undeveloped from the long civil war, Angola is reviving a post-war reconstruction boom.

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