Cairo Airport Company is inviting prequalified companies to submit bids by 20 December for the construction contract for the $400m renovation of terminal two at Cairo International airport.

On 5 August, Cairo Airport Company prequalified six groups to bid for the deal (MEED 5:8:10). Cairo Airport Company is a division of Egyptian Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation (Ehcaan).

The project involves upgrading the existing terminal so it can handle up to 7.5 million passengers a year, more than double its current capacity of 3.5 million passengers a year. The project will also involve the construction of a new departure hall and airside pier, as well as the construction of larger gates to accommodate the Airbus A380 superjumbo.

The construction work is expected to take three years, so if an award is made quickly the project could be complete by 2013.

The companies which are prequalified to bid are:

• Limak Investment (Turkey)
• Enka (Turkey)
• TAV Airports Holding (Turkey), Consolidated Contracting Company (Athens-based), Hassan Allam Sons (local)
• OHL Concesiones (Spain)
• Saudi Binladin Group (Saudi Arabia)
• Orascom Construction Industries (local), Besix (Belgium)

The following companies submitted documents but were not prequalified:

• Joannou & Paraskevaides (Cyprus)
• El-Hazek Holding (local)
• SNC Lavalin (Canada), Arab Contractors (local)
• Industrial Construction & Engineering Company (local), Arabtec Construction (UAE)
• Sembawang Engineers & Contractors (Singapore)
• MAS JV (Beijing) Construction (China)
• Sinohydro (China)
• Tentrade (local)
• Alsim Alarko (Turkey), Strabag (Austria)

In March, the Washington-headquartered World Bank approved a $280m loan to help finance the renovation of the terminal.

The local Engineering Consultants Group and Netherlands-based Naco have completed the design of terminal two.