Page 291 - SHARJAH AIRPORT PR REPORT - FEBRUARY 2024

2/21/24, 10:51 AM Middle East airports expanding in a fast-forward mode to handle zooming passenger numbers
Bahrain is exploring plans to have a second airport by 2034. It has undergone expansion as part of the US$13
billion investment into its tourism industry. The new passenger terminal building at Bahrain International
Airport doubled its capacity. The new greenfield airport will eventually replace the existing Bahrain
International Airport (BIA) due to the inadequacy of its current infrastructure in meeting the kingdom’s growing
airport needs.

Kuwait has plans to expand its airport terminal capacity from six million passengers per year to 20 million by
2030 and turn Kuwait International Airport into a major passenger and cargo hub. The new passenger terminal
(T2) was one of the projects aimed at modernizing its infrastructure to serve Vision 2035. The US$4.36 billion
Kuwait Airport’s Passenger Terminal-2 expansion will boost its annual passenger handling capacity to 13 million
passengers per year by 2025.

Egypt is working at expanding and bettering aviation facilities keeping in view the plans to receive up to 30
million visitors by 2028. The UAE’s aviation is set to witness growth as the UAE Tourism Strategy aims to host
40 million visitors by 2031. The first phase of Navi Mumbai International Airport is expected to be completed by
December 2024. By 2032, Navi Mumbai Airport would also have the capacity to handle 2.5 million tons of
cargo. The US$3.8 billion Noida International Airport is set to open by September 2025.

Maldives is working to develop airports in its six islands as its new government works on a policy to have an
airport within 30 minutes of every residential island. Its capital city, Male, will have a new terminal by 2025.
China aims to construct 216 new airports by 2035 to meet the growing demands for air travel.

A report by Statista said Asia-Pacific had been the region with the highest number of airport infrastructure
projects under construction, with over half of the new airport construction taking place in this region. It also had
the lead for construction projects in existing airports. When considering the value of airport construction projects
worldwide, Asia-Pacific was also at the top of the ranking.

“Airports will be core drivers of (aviation) industry-wide change, while themselves being transformed in the
process,” remarked a study on the ‘Evolution of Airports – Travel Trends in The Next 30 Years’ published by
Oliver Wyman, a global consultancy, Airports Council International (ACI) World, and the Sustainable Tourism
Global Center (STGC).

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