Four-stage master plan reveals a $3.5 billion vision for airport

Mahdy Aldakheel, director of the projects department, says: “The Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGCA) had a vision to upgrade but the government didn’t take it seriously as it gave priority to reconstruction projects. Now demand is driving us as we have exceeded eight million passengers a year.”

The new plan came despite calls for an all-new airport, thought by some to be a cheaper option. The airport was growing at 12-17% per year and fast becoming congested, struggling to cope with its limited number of gates.

Aldakheel says the outcome of the 2005 review was four packages. The first aims to extend runway 15R/33L, the main runway, and to build a second terminal allowing KIA to increase its design throughput from seven to 20 million passengers a year.

The main runway will be upgraded to ICAO Code F, strengthening and widening it so that it can take the A380, and will be extended from 3,400m to 4755m. “It will then be the eighth longest runway in the world,” says Aldakheel. “We made it this long having considered the worst case scenario, a A380 in top heat – Kuwait has 50-55C maximum temperatures – no wind and max takeoff weight.”

Also in the first package is a new apron for the Kuwait Air Force, new taxiways, tunnels and bridges – and a new entry road from the south. This package will start in earnest by the end of 2009 when the runway is closed and all operations are shifted for two years to the other runway, 15L/33R. To this end, KIA will work with the UK’s NATS so that it can make more efficient use of the single runway, drawing on NATS’ experience at London Gatwick.

The second package consists of three items, the main one being the new DGCA headquarters. It will also include two fire stations and work on the existing runway to ensure that it meets ICAO Annex 14 Chapter 9 (emergency services) requirements.

The third package will involve upgrading and extending the Eastern runway from 3,500m to 4,000m and constructing a new 4,580m runway to the West, on clear land that the airport already owns. “The third runway will allow us to increase operations from 450,000 to 650,000 movements a year,” explains Aldakheel.

The fourth and final package consists of “six or seven investment projects”, says Aldakheel, including new heavy maintenance facilities – a central facility to serve the region, a new catering facility, new fuel stations airside and landside, two hotels “at least four star”, and a new Cargo City between Runway 33L and the new third runway, at the northern end.

“This will be able to handle up to six million tonnes a year, up from two million in phase one of that project,” says Aldakheel. Current cargo capacity is 250,000mt/year. “It’s hard to beat other airports on passengers but Kuwait’s vision is to become the main cargo hub for the region. There are planned public works which will extend the highway from the ports directly to the Cargo City, a distance of 15-20km. Kuwait is ideally located, but we have to work harder and faster too,” says Aldakheel.

“We are now in the tender process for Package 1 and are waiting for bids. We hope to sign contracts to start work in the fourth quarter of 2009.

“Package 2 work has also been tendered and should be signed at the same time. With Package 3 we have to finish the existing runways before starting Runway 3. We are upgrading the airfield to handle Code F aircraft – that’s bigger than the A380 – so we plan to accommodate the A380, the largest military aircraft and the Boeing 747-8. We will have an extra 30-40 gates, at least eight of which will cater for the A380.”

The initial budget for airport development is already allocated with the first two packages expected to cost around 200 million Kuwaiti Dinars (KDs) – around US$700 million. The third package is an additional KD100 million and the investment projects a further KD6-700 million.

Aldakheel says that the master plan is updated every five years, each one proposing some new projects. “The 2005 plan got approval and budget allocations so right now we are preparing to contract with an airport consultancy, to be announced in July/August, to update the plan – and issue a report in 2010. I don’t see any changes; the area is full, although some areas are reserved for future development.

“The consultant will be proposing a ‘far future’ location for a new airport,” reveals Aldakheel. “We will discuss it with the oil companies… it will need ten million square meters which is not so easy. Our assumptions will be not less than four runways and not less than 100 million passengers a year, and at least 10 million tonnes of cargo – to be on the safe side.”

Aldakheel admits the development of Kuwait Airways is also a key factor. “The government’s vision is to bring Kuwait Airways back to its glorious history. They used to fly everywhere.”

As for Wataniya and Jazeera, Aldakheel says they are both seeking permission to have their own terminals. “The land is available and they need to go to the Cabinet with our support. Jazeera is working on it and the news is that it’s almost agreed – although we are changing government.”

Essam Al-Zamel, Kuwait International Airport operations director, says: “Because of our open skies policy since 2006 the airport has been attractive for airlines. Most requested more slots, especially Etihad and Qatar Airways.

“Jazeera has two more aircraft coming to have ten. It has moved its main operating base back to Kuwait from Dubai. It is coming back because the UAE authorities stopped it flying Dubai-Beirut,” says Al-Zamel.

“Watiniya is flying from the GA terminal. It has two aircraft and two more coming next month, and there are other airlines starting – like Mihin Lanka.”

Among the airlines which have been requesting additional flights are Lufthansa and British Airways and Al-Zamel admits that it is difficult juggling demands which sometimes conflict. “Lufthansa wants another daily, early morning slot – it has four already – we’re trying to get BA to move but it is saying that because it has an onward connection it needs a particular slot.”

There are also capacity challenges. “Since 1980 there has been no development just some new parking, but there are still only ten gates and two remote stands. We are in the process of adding seven new remote stands – these are under construction and will be completed by December.”

Al-Zamel continues: “One runway [15L/33R] is closed at the moment, so having an incident or accident is the only thing we are afraid of as we would have to close the airport.”

Al-Zamel says KIA is often used as an alternate airfield by airlines in flight planning, including for A380 operations by Emirates and Qantas. “There have not been any A380s here yet but we can take one in an emergency at Gate 26,” he says.

However Al-Zamel’s main concern is security, which is absorbing most of his time. “We’re receiving too many audits, for example from the TSA and the British Embassy. They’re coming back and forth. We will get their reports soon. They’re trying to improve the security level because of the global demand. I’m not satisfied yet that we have done enough, so it’s our top priority.”

He added that Griphon and SkyLink both operate to Iraq so there are additional security measures in place for those flights.

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Despite the worldwide economic downturn, which has put severe strain on the Kuwaiti economy, Kuwait International Airport (KIA) still managed to post traffic growth in March 2009 for both passengers and cargo. Passenger numbers were up 6% (to 603,961), commercial aircraft movements were up 16% (to 5,918) and cargo volume rose by 1%. However non-commercial movements were down 14% – falling from 2,452 the year before to only 2,106.