Kenya launches project to upgrade Mombasa airport

Kenya has embarked on a project to refurbish and upgrade the country’s second largest airport to attract more international flights.

James Macharia, cabinet secretary at the ministry of transport, said Tuesday the 7 billion shilling (about 69 million U.S. dollars) project at the Moi International Airport in Mombasa will be undertaken for 24 months.

«It is therefore of paramount importance that we continue to invest in this airport to make sure that it maintains its excellent safety record, and to enhance the efficiency of its operations,» Macharia said in Mombasa during the commissioning of the project.

Macharia said the works include rehabilitation of the entire runway pavements, reconstruction of some sections of the taxiways and aprons, replacement of pre-cast concrete slabs and installation of an elaborate lighting system.

Other works include drainage works improvement, slope and ground stabilization.

The average lifespan of a runway is 20 to 25 years and the last major rehabilitation was done in 1994.

Kenya Airports Managing Director Jonny Andersen said the infrastructural projects will boost passenger numbers.

French development agency AFD will provide 65 million dollars for the project; the World Bank provided 900,000 dollars for the project’s consultancy services; Kenya Airports Authority will cover the balance.

The airport is serving the coastal area and is the principal port of entry for tourists, business travelers and others visiting the region, both from within and without the country.

According to Macharia, the capacity of the airport is over 2 million people but currently it only handles 300,000 people. The upgrade will enable the airport to operate at its maximum capacity.

Source: Xinhuanet

China aprueba proyecto de ampliación del aeropuerto de Urumqi, región autónoma uygur de Xinjiang

La Comisión Nacional de Desarrollo y Reforma (CNDR), el máximo planificador económico de China, informó hoy lunes de que ha aprobado un proyecto de ampliación del aeropuerto de Urumqi, capital de la región autónoma uygur de Xinjiang, en el noroeste del país.

Con una inversión total de 42.100 millones de yuanes (aproximadamente 6.100 millones de dólares), el proyecto ampliará el Aeropuerto Internacional Diwopu de Urumqi para satisfacer la demanda del mercado de la aviación, que está en rápido crecimiento en la región, según la CNDR.

Se construirán una nueva terminal de 500.000 metros cuadrados y dos nuevas pistas de aterrizaje.

Después de la expansión, el aeropuerto gestionará 63 millones de pasajeros y 750.000 toneladas de carga y correo para el año 2030.

Fuente: Xinhuanet

Munich Airport gains approval for Terminal 1 extension project

The Government of Upper Bavaria has approved a plan for the extension of Terminal 1 at Munich Airport. The first preparatory construction work on the apron can now begin this year, with the commissioning of the new pier expected to take place in 2023.

The aim of the expansion project is to adapt the non-Schengen area as needed and to improve the quality of service and accommodation in Terminal .

The new gate will be connected to today’s Modules A and B and extend more than 320m (1,049ft) into the western apron of Munich Airport. Up to 12 aircraft could dock at the pier.

In recent years, the capacity of Terminal 1 has been reduced by increased security requirements and changing traffic structures. With the new gate, the terminal will once again be able to handle the expected passenger volumes over the next few years while ensuring international quality standards.

The overall concept for the expansion includes a three-level structure consisting of a core building adjacent to the existing Terminal 1 and a pier.

The total area of the extension will total approximately 95,000m², with projected costs of €455m (US$515m) that Munich Airport will raise from its own resources.

Source: Passengers Terminal Today

Zhukovsky Airport plans to expand terminal by end of 2020

Ramport Aero, the Zhukovsky Airport management company plans to announce a tender for the expansion project of the passenger terminal, by the end of 2020, the terminal area should increase from 17 000 to 37 000 square meters, the company said on Thursday in a statement.
«In accordance with the master development plan of the airport near Moscow, by the end of 2020 the passenger terminal area is to increase from the current 17 000 to 37 000 square meters. The capacity of the updated infrastructure will be 6 million passengers per year,» the statement said. The airport also has plans to install boarding bridges by 2020.
The Zhukovsky Airport was opened in May 2016, there are plans to increase its terminal capacity to 12 million people per year by 2020.

Source: Tass Agency

Note: Zhukovsky International Airport , formerly (and still occasionally) known as Ramenskoye Airport  located in Moscow Oblast, Russia 36 km southeast of central Moscow, in the town of Zhukovsky, a few kilometers southeast of the old Bykovo Airport.