Top ten Middle East airports

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Dubai International Airport.

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Bahrain International Airport.

Seeb International Airport (Oman)

Seeb International Airport has experienced steady growth over the past five years, with increases in both passenger and cargo volumes. This was highlighted in 2006, when passenger volumes grew by 26.4% compared to the previous year. Cargo traffic also increased in similar volumes, recording 29.3% growth.

As a result, the government is currently expanding and modernising the airport, which is located in Muscat. The initial stage of development is scheduled for completion in 2010, allowing Seeb International Airport to keep pace with the rapid development of the Middle East's aviation industry.

The airport has capacity for 18 flights at a time, in combination of aircraft sizes, such as Boeing 777, Airbus 340 and Boeing 747-400. It also had a separate VIP terminal, which is adjacent to the main passenger terminal, in addition to separate cargo facilities for both import and export activities.

It currently operates as a major hub for both Gulf Air and the country's national flag carrier Oman Air. In addition, a number of international airlines operate flights from the airport, including British Airways, Emirates, Indian Airlines, Jazeera Airways, Kuwait Airways, Pakistan International Airlines and Thai Airways International.

Dubai International Airport

Dubai International Airport, in a very short period of time, has grown from a regional airfield into a major international aviation hub. It has experienced extreme growth in the number of passengers, total freight and total aircraft movements over the past decade.

From 1997 to 2006, the number of annual passengers increased by 316%. Indeed, last year alone the airport handled an impressive 28.7 million passengers and targets 33 million for the year 2007.

To handle these overwhelming increases, the airport is currently undergoing the second phase of a major expansion plan, which includes the construction of a third terminal, two additional concourses and a cargo mega terminal. The second phase, which is valued at US$2.5 billion, will represent a radical departure in terms of design compared to the terminal.

"The Department of Civil Aviation is committed to ensuring that the next phase of the expansion programme is built to the most advanced specifications possible. With the help of the government of Dubai, we aim to build the most advanced aviation hub, not just in the region, but in the world," says H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation and chairman of Emirates Group.

The main features of Terminal 3 are a multi-level underground structure, first class lounges, various different restaurants, 180 check-in counters and 2600 underground parking spaces. Concourse 2, which will be directly connected to Terminal 3, is dedicated exclusively to Emirates and features 10,000m² of commercial space for duty free and restaurant facilities, 27 contact gates and 59 passenger loading bridges. It will also include five special aerobridges, capable of handling the forthcoming Airbus A380 super jumbos. Concourse 3, which will be a scaled down version of Concourse 2, has been included in the expansion programme to accommodate a larger number of the new A380 super jumbos.

King Abdulaziz International Airport (Saudi Arabia)

King Abdulaziz International Airport, which opened for business in 1981, is located in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah.

As the airport is situated close to Mecca, the KSA government has constructed a special Hajj Terminal, which is used by Muslim pilgrims during the Hajj season. In addition, the airport features two other terminals.A variety of international airlines offer flights from the north terminal, including Emirates, Air Arabia, Pakistan International Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Air India, Singapore Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines and Royal Brunei. The south terminal is exclusively reserved for the country's national flag carrier Saudi Arabian Airlines.

To handle increasing volumes of passengers and cargo, the KSA government is developing New Jeddah International Airport, which will be constructed in three stages. The project involves the modernisation of the existing north and south terminals and upgrades to the existing runway and airfield systems to accommodate the Airbus A380 super jumbo. In addition to four new terminal buildings, a high-speed rail link and capacity for 80 million passengers per annum. The expansion will reportedly be build by local Saudi companies at a cost of US$240 million.

Queen Alia Airport (Jordan)

Jordan's ambitions to increase tourism have placed an increased focus on the country's airports, which are handling a growing number of passengers every year. In particular, the government is planning to enhance the role of Queen Alia International Airport as a leading aviation hub, which will be achieved through a US$380 million expansion and modernisation programme.

The airport, which is located close to the capital city of Amman, features two 31,000m², three-storey terminals. However, the expansion programme will include the construction of a new 900,000 square foot terminal building, which will be completed in two phases. The first phase is scheduled for completion in 2010 and will increase the airport's total capacity to 9 million passengers a year. The second phase will increase this figure to 12 million passengers a year.

The government is hoping to encourage private sector participation in the airport's expansion and rehabilitation. "Developing our airport facilities is crucial not only to tourism but also to business travel and to increasing the networks between Jordan and the international commercial community," says Mohammed Abu Hammour, chairman of the Jordanian government's executive privatisation committee. "Private sector participation will help bring the airport up to international standards and provide a solid basis for economic growth."

Queen Alia International Airport is home to the country's national flag carrier Royal Jordanian Airlines. In addition, a number of international and regional carriers are currently operating flights from the airport, including British Airways, Lufthansa, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Gulf Air, Saudi Arabian Airlines and Air Arabia.

Bahrain International Airport

Bahrain International Airport has successfully established itself as a gateway into the Northern Gulf, attracting a diverse range of international airlines, including British Airways, Cathay Pacific, KLM and Lufthansa. In particular, Gulf Air operates approximately 400 weekly international and regional services from the airport, accounting for 55% of overall movements.

Traffic at Bahrain International Airport has steadily risen over the past decade. Bahrain Airport Services (BAS) recently announced record figures for passenger, cargo and aircraft movements during 2006, with 6.8 million passengers travelling through the airport, marking a 20% increase compared to the previous year.

To support this growth, the airport is undergoing an ambitious expansion programme valued at US$350 million, which is scheduled to commence in 2008. Following its completion in 2010, the size of the airport's terminal building will be doubled, the number of aircraft stands will increase from 46 to 64, and the number of bridges will be doubled from seven to 14. As a result, the airport will be able to handle 15 million passengers a year.

The additional gates will comprise stands to accommodate five numbers of Code E type aircraft (such as the Airbus A330 or A340 and Boeing 747 or 777), one Code C type aircraft (Airbus A320 and Boeing 737) and one Code F large aircraft (NLA). An existing parking bay will also be refurbished to accommodate Code F aircrafts, providing a total of two stands at the expanded terminal to cater to the new Airbus A380 super-sized aircrafts.

The expansion also includes a $3.8 million investment to boost retailing facilities, in partnership with Bahrain Duty Free. This includes an expansion and redesign between gates 11 and 14, with new floors, ceilings and lighting to existing sections, together with new retail outlets and fast food shops.

"The current airport has been designed to handle three million passengers a year," says Captain Abdulrahman Al Gaoud, under secretary at Civil Aviation Affairs (CAA).

"However, our airport has experienced an unprecedented growth, an average 15% a year and the number of passengers handled by the airport reached seven million by the end of 2006," he adds.

The ambitious growth strategy is not limited to the forthcoming expansion. Indeed, further projects are being planned for the future to increase the airport's capacity to 22 million passengers by 2020 and later to 45 million. This growth will cater to future increases in passenger and aircraft traffic up to the year 2015, with passenger figures predicted to grow by roughly 12 million and 15 million per annum by that time.

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