EXCLUSIVE: Groups keen to work on Sharjah airport expansion

19 December 2018
Passenger traffic has significantly exceeded Sharjah International airport’s capacity

A number of aviation consultants and operators are understood to be forming groups with the aim of developing and operating the next phase of the Sharjah International airport expansion on a long-term concession basis.

According to a source with knowledge of the Sharjah airport scheme, the idea was to replicate the model used for Amman’s Queen Alia International in Jordan, which was developed as a public-private partnership (PPP) project.

However, MEED understands none of the interested groups has so far submitted a formal proposal to Sharjah Airport Authority (SAA), the project client.

Earlier this year, SAA signed three contracts worth an estimated AED100m ($27.2m) related to the Sharjah International airport expansion project.

France’s ADP Ingeniere (ADPI) won the consultancy and supervision works contract. Local firm Core Engineering Services won the professional services contract for multiple airport facilities, and local water treatment contracting firm Metito Overseas won the design-build of a new sewage treatment plan.

The contract awarded to ADPI covers directing, managing and monitoring all aspects of the expansion project to ensure that all project requirements are met according to the approved schedule, budget and contract requirements, an official statement carried by Emirates News Agency (WAM) said.

The contract awarded to Core Engineering Consultancy covers the consultancy services for the design, construction and supervision of professional services for multiple facilities, including:

  • Ground support equipment (GSE) vehicle maintenance
  • Department of Purchasing and Engineering building compass
  • Aircraft hardstands with the addition of 12 remote aircraft hardstands apron pads
  • Inbound road network
  • Supervision for the demolition of existing affected structures

Metito will undertake the design-build of a new sewage treatment plant and associated works. The facility will be equipped to process approximately 3,000 cubic metres per day, with provision for future capacity expansion to 4,500 cubic metres.

In March last year, US-based Parsons won the project management services contract for the planning, design, construction and commissioning of the expanded airport.

The project will include numerous facilities as well as the expansion of the passenger terminal building and the widening of roads to and from the airport.

MEED understands the planned expansion will take the airport capacity from 8 to 20 million passengers annually by 2027.

Sharjah International handled 11.36 million passengers in 2017, compared with 11 million passengers the previous year.

Sharjah-based low-cost carrier Air Arabia, which has strongly supported the airport expansion plan, generated a net profit of AED230m ($62.6m) for the first half of 2018. That was 12 per cent down from the figure reported in the corresponding period last year. The carrier reported a 6 per cent increase in revenue, which reached AED1.82bn.

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