Construction work begins on Kuwait’s new $4.3bn airport terminal

Heavy construction work has started on Kuwait International Airport’s new KD1.3bn ($4.3bn) passenger terminal, it was announced on Tuesday.

The new passenger terminal, being constructed by Turkey-based construction company Limak Insaat, will have the capacity to handle 25 million passengers per year when ready.

Spread across 708,000 square meters, it will be able to accommodate all aircraft types through 51 gates and stands, with the ability to serve 21 A380s.

Read: Kuwait awards $4.3bn tender for new airport terminal

Designed by Fosters + Partners, KIA’s new terminal has a trefoil plan, comprising three symmetrical wings of departure gates. Each facade spans 1.2km and all extend from a 25-metre-high central space.

The whole building will have a single roof canopy, with 66,000 solar panels also placed on the roof to generate 10 per cent of the terminal’s electricity consumption.

The project will require over one million cubic metres of concrete and over 100,000 tonnes of structural steel – which will be procured locally.

The new terminal is expected to help meet growing demand for air travel services in Kuwait.

According to officials, air traffic has increased by 10 per cent annually over the past 10 years, with the number of passengers travelling through Kuwait International Airport reaching 12 million passengers in 2016.

According to forecasts, passenger traffic is expected to exceed 23 million in 2027.

Kuwait’s Minister of Public Works, Abdulrahman al Mutawa, said: “This project is designed to handle 25 million passengers a year and is scalable for an additional 25 million in the future.

“It’s also designed to the highest international standards with a Class A classification, the highest airport classification. The airport is environmentally friendly and energy efficient and will recycle water to be used in irrigation and landscaping.”

Sheikh Salman Sabah al Salem al Humoud al Sabah, president of Kuwait’s Directorate General for Civil Aviation, added: “This project will contribute to the development of the country’s economy and tourism and will enhance Kuwait’s status globally by keeping up with the continuous developments of air traffic and offering investments opportunities to the private sector that guarantee financial returns to the state’s treasury and create job opportunities to the Kuwaiti youth in all specialities.”