As part of Queen Alia International Airport’s continued development, Jordanian airport operator, Airport International Group (AIG), is undertaking a $100m expansion scheduled to be complete in 2017.

 

Airport International Group (AIG) – responsible for the rehabilitation, expansion and operation of Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) – held a cornerstone ceremony to mark the commencement of the second phase of its QAIA expansion project on 20 January, 2014.

 

The event was attended by H.E. Minister of Transport Dr. Lina Shbeeb, as well as a group of ministers, parliament members, government officials, dignitaries, partners and media representatives.

 

Upon its completion, the expansion will help raise QAIA’s annual passenger traffic to up to 12m, subsequently enabling it to fulfill its role in supporting the Kingdom’s national tourism strategy goals, and help Jordan better serve as a regional hub for leisure and business travel.

 

[Above: Prime Minister Dr. Abdullah Nsour, a ceremony was held to mark the launch of the second expansion phase of QAIA project, scheduled to be completed in 2017.]

 

INCREASED PASSENGER TRAFFIC

Considered Jordan’s most important Public Private Partnership (PPP) project, QAIA’s management and development was awarded by the Government to AIG in 2007 under a 25-year Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) concession agreement following an open international tender.

 

During the ceremony, H.E. Shbeeb stated: “Despite regional circumstances which significantly impacted the aviation industry, we experienced increased passenger traffic thanks to Jordan’s robust security conditions on the regional and international levels.

 

“The enhancements that are currently being implemented should enable the airport to boost its capacity to 16m passengers annually by the end of the concession timeframe in 2032.”

 

AIG Chairman Nazem Al Kudsi, added: “Since the new terminal’s launch, QAIA has been ranked, in terms of quality, among the world’s top 50 airports for service levels and passenger satisfaction. Furthermore, passengers voted QAIA among the 20 best airports in the world within the group of airports serving 5 – 15 million passengers. QAIA also received Gold recognition as ‘Best Emerging Market Infrastructure Project for Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa’.”

 

 

‘2013, A MILESTONE YEAR’

At the conclusion of the ceremony, H.E. Dr. Nsour unveiled a symbolic marble slate to officially mark the commencement of the new QAIA expansion.

 

QAIA welcomed 478,245 passengers during December, an 8.4% increase compared to the same month in 2012. This boosted annual passenger traffic (PAX) by 4% to settle at 6,502,323 pax, marking over a quarter of a million passengers increase compared to last year’s results.

 

“2013 was a milestone year for QAIA in more ways than one. Not only did it mark the launch of our new, state-of-the-art terminal which significantly boosted QAIA’s service levels and traffic capacity, but it also introduced a number of new international achievements and accolades,” said AIG CEO, Kjeld Binger.

 

 

“In addition to being named the Best Emerging Market Infrastructure Project for Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, QAIA was ranked – in terms of quality – among the world’s top airports for service levels and passenger satisfaction. Despite the fact that only phase one of the Terminal Project is completed, the overall passenger satisfaction is exceeding the international standards as set in the agreement between AIG and the Jordanian Government.”

 

Binger went on to state, “It’s encouraging to see what Jordan’s prime gateway can achieve when faced with challenging regional circumstances, and it gives us a positive indicator of what can be expected in 2014.”