Kuwait’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has extended the deadline for the contract to build a new runway and the reconstruction of the existing eastern runway at Kuwait International airport (KIA).

The closing date for the submission of technical and commercial offers has been moved from 19 June to 24 July. This marks the second time the original deadline has been extended. The original date was 8 March.

The runway schemes comprise a key part of the KIA expansion programme. Other segments of the package include taxiways, an air traffic control system, access roads and utilities, which are understood to be excluded in this tender.

The Kuwaiti government has allocated about $6bn for the development and expansion of KIA. The largest of these deals, the $4.3bn Terminal 2, was awarded on 30 May.

Designed by the UK’s Foster+Partners, Terminal 2 has a design capacity of 25 million passengers annually. It will be able to simultaneously accommodate an equivalent of 21 A380s, the world’s largest passenger aircraft, once completed.

The contract for the construction of a temporary passenger support building is also currently awaiting final approval from the government.