Economy

KRG to implement $40 million in development projects for Erbil's Airport

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) will implement a long-term master plan to develop, expand and renovate the Erbil International Airport (EIA) with the support of Germany’s Lufthansa Consulting.

Baxtiyar Goran 2017/08/14 20:53

kurdistan Kurdistan Erbil EIA Germany Lufthansa

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) will implement a long-term master plan to develop, expand and renovate the Erbil International Airport (EIA) with the support of Germany’s Lufthansa Consulting.

Talar Faiq, the Director General of the EIA, told Kurdistan 24 on Monday that airport authority signed a $40 million USD deal with Lufthansa Consulting to support the development and implementation of the new project.

Faiq stated that the master plan was developed in 2014 and meant to be implemented in 2015, but was shelved due to the financial crisis and war against the Islamic State (IS).

She revealed that the funds of the master plan would be allocated from the airport’s revenues.

Director General of EIA and Lufthansa Consulting's Head of Market for Southern Africa and Indian Ocean signed an agreement this week in the presence of the KRG's PM Nechirvan Barzani and Managing Director of Lufthansa Consulting. (Photo: EIA)

According to a statement released on the EIA website, the agreement with Lufthansa Consulting “will secure, for the airport, key expertise across a range of airport disciplines from project management, through planning, design, cargo, security, and safety.”

The statement added that starting this September, several projects such as repairing the terminal roof, the airfield, and other infrastructure will begin, which will be managed by the Turkish company Makyol

Another project, worth $17.5 million USD to be implemented over the next 18 months, will include developing the airport’s landscape, designed by German company Daber & Kriege and to be executed by French company Jardin, the statement added.

A $6.5 million USD fuel farm rehabilitation project will deliver much-needed fuel storage capacity to the EIA via a four million gallon capacity fuel farm, which once completed will offer greater resilience to the airport's ability to operate in the event of fuel shortages, the statement explained.

The fourth project, which according to the statement will cost $7 million USD, is to develop the water treatment plant and is scheduled to begin in November of this year.

“Increased passenger numbers, the presence of US and coalition forces and irrigation requirements for landscaping project have created the need to an increase in water treatment capacity,” the statement read.

Editing by G.H. Renaud