Oman’s Transport and Communications Ministry has extended the tender closing date to 4 January for the second infrastructure works package on the New Sohar Airport project.

The ministry had originally invited companies to bid by 28 September. However this was later extended to 14 December (MEED 29:11:09).

A new terminal and a cargo-handling building will be built as part of the third phase of Sohar airport expansion.

The construction contract is still scheduled to be awarded in the second quarter of 2010.

In May Austria’s Strabag won a $99m contract for the first phase of construction work which involves site preparation and infrastructure works.

The Transport and Communications is also planning to build an airport terminal building as part of the third phase of the Sohar airport project.

Egyptian company Hamza Associates is the design consultant.

On completion, Sohar airport will have a capacity of 500,000 passengers a year.

Oman’s Transport and Communications Ministry is also planning a number of other airport projects in the country, including Al-Duqm, Salalah and the capital Muscat. 

The airport project at Muscat is the largest of all as it involves building a new terminal capable of handling 48 million passengers each year.