Airports - March April 2015

New Iraqi Airport
A NEW airport, primarily for cargo use,
is to be built to serve Iraq’s Diwaniya
governorate (province) following the
award of a 45-year contract to build and
run the facility to Kuwait firm Al Nasriyah.
Construction of the $1.35bn airport will
be in three phases and will include a
surrounding aerotropolis featuring
industry and recreational areas. It is
estimated the development will generate
more than 8,000 jobs. Phase one is
valued at $420m and includes the
main airport infrastructure and a free
trade zone. Work is expected to start
imminently with the first phase taking
just over two years to finish and the
entire project completed in five years.
A single 11,811ft (3,600m) runway
will be able to handle the world’s
largest aircraft.
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Approval for Second
Suvarnabhumi Terminal
AIRPORTS OF Thailand (AoT) has
approved the construction of a
second terminal and a third runway at
Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. The
projects are expected to cost $1.47bn,
with the runway due to be completed
in 2017 and the terminal two years
later. The 870,000sq ft (80,823m 2 )
building will increase capacity by
20mppa to 65mppa and will have
car park space for 3,000 vehicles. It
will be connected to the rest of the
airport by a monorail system.
The extra runway will be used mainly
to allow repairs to be carried out
on the other two without affecting
Vancouver
Opens
Extended
Domestic
Terminal
THE VANCOUVER Airport Authority
has inaugurated its A-B Connector,
expanding the domestic terminal at
Vancouver International Airport,
British Columbia, Canada. The
CAN$213m facility has increased
gate capacity, provided ten more
shops and restaurants, added a
Plaza Premium pay-per-use lounge
and upgraded the baggage handling
system – which enables faster
baggage transfer between domestic
and international flights.
Craig Richmond, the authority’s
President and CEO, said: “We’re
proud to deliver this project on plan
and on budget. Vancouver Airport
is facing increased competition from
other airports and both travellers
and airlines have choices. To remain
competitive and continue to be
an economic generator and jobs
creator for British Columbia, we
must continue to invest in projects
that make it easier and faster for
passengers and their baggage to
move through the airport.”
flight schedules – and ultimately to
accommodate traffic growth.
Meanwhile AoT has been
restructuring part of the terminal
interior to provide more space for
airline lounges. An 18,000sq ft
(1,672m 2 ) area near Concourse D
has been set aside for the project and
will be divided between three carriers
– Thai Airways International, Bangkok
Airways and Singapore Airlines as
well as the Louis’ Tavern Transit
Hotel. Qatar Airways will also add a
new lounge – its second outside Doha
after London/Heathrow, on which it
will be modelled.
LAX Qantas Lounge
AUSTRALIAN FLAG carrier Qantas
has opened a new First Class
lounge at Los Angeles International
Airport. The facility is modelled
on its existing flagship lounges in
Melbourne and Sydney and seats
221 customers. Covering 17,500sq
ft (1,626m 2 ) the lounge includes a
74-seat à la carte restaurant, free
Wi-Fi, business facilities, cable
television, two private work suites
and seven shower rooms. Furnishing
is to a high standard with marbled
floors, American oak walls, Tai Ping
wool carpets and a 48ft (14.6m)
Fly Niki will perform the world’s shortest international flights when it introduces services
between Vienna and Bratislava. (AirTeamImages.com/Alun Morris Jones)
FLY NIKI is to introduce the shortest
international flights in the world after
opening a base at Bratislava Airport
in Slovakia. As well as starting flights
to Brussels and Palma, the carrier
will fly to its base in Vienna, Austria
– just 31 miles (50km) away. The
carrier will position Embraer 190s
from Vienna to Bratislava, and from
April 1 will serve the route up to
six times a week. This will allow
Carrara marble bar.
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said
at the opening: “The new lounge
is more than triple the size of the
previous space, and the design and
service is equal to the world’s best
five star hotels and restaurants.
Lounges are important to our
international customers’ journey,
which is why we have drawn on the
knowledge of world leading experts,
such as designer Marc Newson and
Qantas chef Neil Perry, to deliver the
most luxurious experience before
people even step on board.”
The bar in the new Qantas lounge at Los Angeles International Airport. (Qantas)
Bratislava passengers to transfer
to other Fly Niki services in Vienna.
The connection to Brussels
is significant because Slovakia
assumes the European Union Council
presidency in July 2016, so the link
will take on added importance.
Services to the Belgian capital will
be by E190s, although the Palma
flights, due to start on May 2, will
be by Airbus A320.
Modular
Hotel for
Bristol
BRISTOL AIRPORT is to have a
modular hotel, provided by CIMC
(China International Marine
Containers) and due to open in
the spring of next year. It will be
part of the Hilton Worldwide range
under the economy Hampton by
Hilton brand and will be financed
and owned by CIMC. The hotel, the
airport’s first, will have 201 rooms.
The modular technique reduces
construction time, according
to CIMC, with the component
parts manufactured in China
and then assembled on site. The
airport’s CEO, Robert Sinclair,
commented: “The development
of a high-quality on-site hotel to
be operated under such a worldrenowned
brand will be a very
welcome addition to our facilities
for the growing number of
passengers choosing to fly to and
from Bristol Airport. Alongside
the terminal extension currently
under construction, this is another
statement of our ambition to be
a world-class regional airport
serving the southwest of the UK.”
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