The Egyptian Civil Aviation Ministry and British airline company Icon have revealed they will complete assessing strategies by mid-April 2013 on plans to build a US$20bn airport city at Cairo International Airport
According to civil aviation minister Wail al-Madawi, the construction plans will comprise of a number of restaurants and hotels, intended to accommodate future expansions in Cairo airport’s passenger capacity.
According to Egyptian newspaper Daily News Egypt, the ministry had stated that once the plans have been reviewed, they will seek to construct similar projects near the Burg al-Arab airport in Alexandria and around the Port Said airport.
Al-Madawi said that a 10-year plan had been presented to the Shura Council’s Transportation Committee earlier this month regarding the implementation of similar projects in other parts of the country.
The minister also told Daily News Egypt, “ Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has plans to build a passenger reception hall for the airport capable of hosting an expected three million passengers, in addition to an additional aeroplane corridor.”
He added that plans have been made to build a third terminal at Cairo Airport within a period of two years in an attempt to raise the airport’s overall passenger capacity from 22mn to 30mn per year.
The African Development Fund (ADF) has agreed to loan the Egyptian government US$360mn for the construction of an additional reception hall at the Sharm El-Sheikh airport, with the capacity to host 10mn passengers yearly.
Al-Madawi said that a third reception hall would be constructed at Hurghada Airport in the coming year at a cost of US$1.7bn. The hall will have the capacity to host 7.5mn passengers yearly.
