New runway of Jeddah airport is operational 

(MENAFN - Arab News) The aircraft used by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah took off from a new runway at King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) on Tuesday to mark its opening. The king was not on board.

"King Abdullah's plane is the first to take off from the new runway, the construction of which was recently completed," a top airport official told the media.

The west runway is 4,000 meters long and 60 meters wide, with 7.5-meter shoulders on either side. "The achievements we are seeing today reflect the vision and aspirations of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah concerning the development of KAIA," said Mazen Khashoggi, director general of KAIA.

"Today, the airport is witnessing progressive developments on both short and long-term strategic plans which have been set to develop the infrastructure of the Kingdom's airports and in turn support the increasing traffic of passengers." The airport is expected to see further development and expansion. Future plans include new buildings, commercial facilities and services to attract visitors, tourists and investors from across the globe.

He added that KAIA is committed to corporatization of the airport and developing business in cooperation with all stakeholders to enhance value and foster sustainable growth in accordance with international standards and environmental requirements.

According to a recent World Traffic Report 2008, the number of arriving and departing passengers at 1,357 airports, representing 98 percent of global airport traffic, amounted to a marginal growth rate of only 0.1 percent for the year compared to 2007, whereas in the first seven months of 2009 KAIA passenger traffic increased by almost 10 percent compared to the same period last year.

By K.S. Ramkumar