AIG kicks off development of new QAIA

To accommodate the planned construction works, Airport International Group (AIG) has announced major changes to the traffic flow, car park and transport infrastructure throughout the Airport.

'Recent visitors to the Airport will have seen the emergence of construction cranes and the hoarding off of car park areas. In the long term this is good news for our travelers as they will start to see delivery on the commitments that AIG has made to fulfill the vision of His Majesty King Abdullah II to see a state of the art gateway developed for Jordan and the region,'



said Curtis Grad, CEO of AIG.

The new QAIA terminal buildings will cover much of the existing car parks and, to protect travelers and visitors from the construction works, AIG has created new access roads, new car parks, pick-up and drop-off areas, taxi and bus stops.

A new car park management plan has come into play to accommodate the construction site of the new airport terminal building with the creation of short and long term car parks.

'By introducing the international standards of strict short-term and long-term parking facilities, we will be able to better manage the main curbside areas to ensure the efficient flow and safety of passenger and construction traffic. The change enables us to develop a welcoming atmosphere that will encourage greater use of the Airport and meet demand for services, such as Valet Parking services, seen in other major international airports in the region and elsewhere. In fact, we have recently launched a Request for Expressions of Interest, looking for innovative, capable and experienced partners to work with us in enhancing service levels,' continued Grad.

Commenting on the new transport and car park management procedures, Francois Berisot, Chief Operations Officer for QAIA said, 'Signage has been placed to direct drivers needing long-term parking (over 1 hour) to a specially prepared area by the first roundabout before they approach the terminal. A free 24/7 bus service is provided every 10-minutes transferring travelers from the long-term parking to the terminals and vice versa. A complementary 'concierge' service will be provided at the special bus stops to ensure travelers have a speedy and convenient service.'

The long term car park accommodates 680 car parking spaces and is guarded 24/7 by security staff and CCTV cameras. The existing public car parks will be converted to short-term parking. Friends and family collecting or dropping off travelers will be encouraged to use the short-term parking areas to prevent congestion on the curbside, with those parking for longer periods utilizing the long-term facilities.

Scheduled to be fully operational in 2011, the new QAIA will comfortably greet over 9 million passengers per year, with the capacity of further expansion to 12 million passengers.

Whilst construction and development plans of the new QAIA are underway, AIG has undertaken an intensive phase of capital improvement and upgrading of passenger services for the existing terminals with extensive rehabilitation and deep cleaning works starting in the check-in areas, customs halls, restrooms and many external fascias; all aimed at delivering an enhanced level of travel experience. Overall the US$700 million worth rehabilitation and expansion project of QAIA is being managed by AIG (Airport International Group), a Jordanian company with private shareholding by Abu Dhabi Investment Company (UAE) , Noor Financial Investment Company (Kuwait), Edgo Group (Jordan), Joannou & Paraskevaides (Overseas) Limited (Cyprus), J&P-Avax (Greece) and Aéroports de Paris Management (France).