Morocco’s aviation authority is inviting firms to prequalify by 30 September for two separate deals to build new terminals at Marrakech International and Fez-Saiss airports.

The scope of the first deal involves the construction of the new Terminal 3 at Marrakech airport, which will be 26,000 square metres. The Office National des Aeroports (Onda) will finance the construction through a loan from the African Development Bank (AFDB).

Terminal 3 is part of the wider expansion of the airport, which will more than double the airport’s capacity to 10 million passengers a year by 2013, from 4.5 million passengers a year currently. Later work planned for the development includes an expansion of existing passenger terminals and extending the berths to accommodate Airbus A380 planes.

Progress on the project has been delayed due to the appointment of a new managing director Dalil Guendouz earlier this year (MEED 28:6:10).

The second deal involves the construction of a 26,000 square metre-terminal at Fez-Saiss airport in Fez-Boulemane region. The African Development Bank will also finance this project, which is expected to cost around $71m. The expansion will see total capacity at the airport increase to three million passengers a year from 500,000 passengers currently.

This project is expected to help the regions of Fez, Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate and Meknes Tafilalet strengthen their infrastructure and economic development and will also work alongside other projects such as the Fez-Oujda highway. The highway will be 320 kilometres when it is complete in 2011 and is being built to improve access.

The expansions of the two airports are being planned to help cope with a projected increase in tourism in the country. About 8.3 million foreign passengers passed through Morocco’s airports in 2009, a five per cent increase from 2008.

The International Air Transport Association (Iata) predicts that Morocco will see a 6.8 per cent increase in passenger traffic between 2010 and 2013.