France's Aeroports de Paris (ADP) signed Monday a contract to supervise the $1.4 billion expansion of Dubai airport, said Dubai civil aviation chief, Sheikh Ahmad bin Said Al Maktoum.
Sheikh Ahmad signed the deal with ADP managing director Alain Le Pajolec for a third terminal, as well as expansion of the cargo village, airfield, and infrastructure and support facilities, reported the Gulf Daily News.
"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," Sheikh Ahmad, also chairman of the Dubai-owned carrier Emirates, told a press conference.
Work on the new terminal, designed by ADP, will begin at the end of 2002 and finish in 2006, he added.
The new terminal will be in the shape of a giant plane wing almost 1km long and capable of handling around 64 parked planes, including the Airbus A-380 superjumbos, but will be reserved for Emirates passengers, said the paper.
The official said expansion of the airport's cargo village will see its capacity increase from 675,000 tons a year to three million by 2018.
Dubai, which saw 12.3 million passengers pass through the airport in 2000, expects to handle 30 million passengers by 2010 and 62 million passengers by 2020 – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
