Water proof

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UNDER WATER: A cyclone in 2007 caused severe flooding in the Omani capital of Muscat.

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As the first part of the project, therefore, COWI-Larsen will be raising the ground some three metres to prevent the new runway and the new roads ending up under water. This is being done by driving 10-12 cubic metres of desert sand and crushed rock onto the site.

"The airport is a vital complex and vital to the country in general," explains Haukrogh. "Our drainage system will be good enough to cope with cyclone conditions so the airport can remain operational." In order to protect the rest of the airport site from flood surges, one of the first steps in the building process is to install three giant outlets, or culverts under the coast road, to the Bay of Oman. The three culverts will have a combined capacity of 500 cubic metres of water a second.

The terminal building at Muscat International will cover around 350,000m2 and, Haukrogh confirms, will be complete by mid 2009. Aside from overcoming the drainage challenges, the project director admits that there have been some ongoing changes over the last two years. "The terminal has to be capable of expanding its passenger capacity from 12 to 48 million over the coming years," explains Haukrogh, "so as the vision has grown, the project has too. Office facilities, hangars and catering buildings have been added bit by bit."

The expansion also includes construction of 32 air bridges, a new runway and an upgrade of the existing runway, a 90 metre high control tower, an air traffic management centre and 6000 parking spaces.

Haukrogh's design brief included providing passengers with high quality, not just in the terminal environment but in terms of service levels. "The client is adamant that the terminal must be able to carry out passenger handling at the highest possible level. The terminal is designed in such a way that queuing and waiting times will be minimal, and the technology is state-of-the-art. Ticketing, iris scanning and IT systems will all culminate in delivering a high level of service to the passengers."

COWI's client, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, has broken the mould somewhat with the design of the airport. Despite it being a public building, it differs from the traditional Arabian style of others in the region by being modern in design. "It could be an airport in Europe or any Asian country," Haukrogh points out, "and this design has been decided upon entirely by the client."

Meeting with sophisticated traveller expectations, Muscat's terminal will use glass and natural light. Floor cooling systems will be fitted in some areas for extra comfort and the floor will have heavy finishes to maintain its low temperature, using energy more efficiently.

Over the next 50 years, Salaleh International will also grow to accommodate up to 10 million passengers, and COWI has utilised the experience of Copenhagen Airports International A/S, Aviaplan, OServe and Airways International New Zealand to glean best practice ideas and apply them to the Oman project. Haukrogh explains.

They are our sparring partners with regards to the layout and functionality of the airports. Their input is crucial in terms of fulfilling the client's standards and we value their opinions."

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