The tender deadline for a contract involving the expansion of Yemen’s Mukalla International airport has been extended by just under a month.

Contractors originally had until 29 December to submit their bids following the launch of the tender in mid-November. The deadline has now been moved to 19 January.

The works package contract includes the expansion of the passenger terminal building, packing and landscape improvements, runway lights upgrading, replacement of equipment in the control regulator stations and additional transformer equipment.

The expanded airport will support the growth of Mukalla’s port and forms part of a World Bank-funded project to improve Yemen’s major ports. The funding from the Washington-based bank will be used to support the airport expansion.

Yemen’s Port Cities development programme is now entering its second phase after its first phase, which focused on the upgrading of the port city of Aden, finished in 2010. The second phase will focus on the ports of Hodeidah and Mukalla.