Canada’s WSP has been awarded a contract by Cyprus-based J&P to provide detailed design work on major airport projects in Oman.

WSP will provide civil, structural and specialist design services for the projects to build maintenance and cargo facilities at Muscat airport and a cargo facility at Salalah airport. The facilities will have a combined area of 150,000 square metres.

 J&P was awarded the $518m contract for the design and build of the airport projects in January. The firm saw off competition from five other companies to win the contract.

The construction contracts are part of projects to expand the capacity of both airports. The project to expand Muscat International airport is one of the largest construction projects in the sultanate.

In October 2010, a consortium of US’ Bechtel, the local Bahwan Engineering and Turkey’s Enka secured a RO706m ($1.8bn) contract to build the new passenger terminal.

The new terminal building will cover a total area of 300,000 square metres and will have a total capacity of 12 million passengers annually.

Also in 2010, a joint venture of the local Galfar Engineering & Contracting and India’s Larsen & Toubro was awarded an estimated RO294.1m deal for the main construction package to expand Salalah International airport. The new terminal will cover a total area of 71,000 sq m and will have a total capacity of 1 million passengers a year.