Almaty International Airport plans $140 million expansion

Almaty International Airport plans to spend $140.8 million in upcoming years to build a new terminal, reconstruct runways and improve food service.

The airport is the largest in Kazakhstan and was built in 1935. It accounts for half of the passenger traffic and 68 percent of cargo traffic in Kazakhstan.

The airport’s existing Very Important Person (VIP) terminal is registered as a local monument and, therefore, cannot be demolished. As a result, airport authorities have had to consider other options for expansion.

According to Almaty International Airport Vice President Alexander Gordeyev, these options will be approved by 2020.

“There is a need for additional terminal areas, but there is also the issue of land use regulation. That is, there is a part of the land that does not belong to the airport, so this is being addressed at the state level,” the airport’s press service stated. “Overall, the first stage of the airport’s expansion of 40,000 square metres will allow it to smoothly function over the next 20 years.”

The airport’s terminal area has a capacity of 1,600 passengers per hour and is 24,000 square metres, which has been deemed insufficient during the airport’s rush hours.

The airport’s area where passengers access aircraft boarding after border control and inspection has also been deemed insufficient during flight waiting times.

The airport’s airfield capacity is eight to ten flights per hour. To increase this capacity to 20 flights per hour, the airport plans to build two connecting runways and repair its existing runways.

New food service facilities will also be built. The existing facilities were built during the Soviet era. The new facilities will increase food service capacity from 8,000 portions per day to 25,000 portions per day.

“The estimated cost of the airport’s development includes the construction of a new terminal building at 4 billion tenge (US$10.94 million), a new catering department building at 3.5 billion tenge (US$9.57 million), Runway 1 modernisation at 6 billion tenge (US$16.4 million), Runway 2 modernisation at 8 billion tenge (US$21.87 million) and terminal expansion in the amount of at least 30 billion tenge (US$82.02 million),” according to the airport’s press service.

Source: The Astana Times

Langkawi Airport expansion will boost passenger growth

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) is confident that the expansion of the Langkawi International Airport (LGK) will further facilitate its passenger growth.

Acting Group Chief Executive Officer Raja Azmi Raja Nazuddin said several foreign airlines had expressed their interest to operate from the airport.

“In 2017, LGK registered 2.7 million passenger traffic movements, with a 14.6 per cent increase in international passengers.

“From January to June 2018, international passenger traffic movement increased by 23.9 per cent compared with the same period in 2017,” he said in a statement today.

The year-long expansion project, which began in October 2017, has increased the airport’s capacity from 1.5 million passengers per annum (mppa) to 4.0 mppa.

Raja Azmi said six airlines were currently operating from LGK, flying to four domestic destinations and five international destinations, with a combined weekly frequency of 238 flights.

The expansion has increased the total gross floor area of LGK’s terminal building from 15,000 sqm to 23,000 sqm, and its facilities have also been upgraded to reduce congestion and improve operational efficiencies.

Source: MalayMail

NOTE: The expansion project for Langkawi International Airport (LGK) has been completed and opened for operations on 1 September 2018 at 6 am.

Guam: FAA provides $4.47M to support airport’s third-floor addition

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded the A.B. Won Pat International Airport Authority, Guam (GIAA) grant funding of $4,474,299.00 for the modification of the terminal building, which includes seismic upgrades and retrofitting of areas, to support the construction of the new International Arrivals Corridor (3rd Floor Project).

The modifications are part of the overall $110M International Arrivals Corridor Project that will direct all arriving passengers up to a new 3rd floor and drop down to the US Customs and Immigration Hall. Once complete, the airport will meet the federal mandate to separate arriving and departing passengers.

 

Missoula International Airport will begin remodel

The Missoula International Airport will begin a remodeling project in September.

The airport grew 60 percent over the last 15 years. Airport Director Brian Ellestad said the goal of the project is to improve the overall customer experience.
«The main thing our passengers will see is moving the current TSA checkpoint to the middle of the building, say where our bear is in the middle of the lobby,” said Ellestad.
By moving the checkpoint, there will be larger gate areas, room for more food options and faster TSA security lines.
Ellestad emphasized that the project is funded by user fees and federal government grants.
The TSA renovation will be finished in the next year, and the rest of the airport will be completed in phases over a five year span.

Source: NBC Montana