Cairo Airport Company has prequalified 15 groups to bid for the construction contract for the $400m renovation of terminal two at Cairo International Airport.

The project covers an upgrade to 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.

Work will also involve the construction of a new departure hall and airside pier as well as the construction of larger gates to accommodate Airbus A380 aircraft.

The construction work is expected to take about three years to complete and is scheduled to finish in 2013.

The companies which are prequalified to bid are:

• Joannou & Paraskevaides (Cyprus)
• Limak Investment (Turkey)
• Enka (Turkey)
• El-Hazek Holding (local)
• Industrial Construction & Engineering Company (local), Arabtec Construction (UAE)
• TAV Airports Holding (Turkey), Consolidated Contracting Company (Athens-based), Hassan Allam Sons (local)
• SNC Lavalin (Canada), Arab Contractors (local)
• Sembawang Engineers & Contractors (Singapore)
• OHL Concesiones (Spain)
• Orascom Construction Industries (local), Besix (Belgium)
• Saudi Binladin Group (Saudi Arabia)
• 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 terminal two at Cairo airport (MEED 11:3:10).

The local Engineering Consultants Group and Netherlands-based Naco have completed the design of terminal two and Cairo Airport Company is expected to award the construction contract in the third quarter of the year.

All airlines have now been moved from terminal two to terminal one where they will continue their operations while the renovation work takes place.

Once the work on terminal two is complete, the airlines will be moved back and Cairo Airport Company will start renovation work on terminal one.

TAV completed the construction of the airport’s third terminal in April 2009. Terminal three has a capacity of 22 million passengers a year, making it one of the largest terminals in North Africa.