Khartoum airport signs $1.38bn deal

The Khartoum New International Airport entered into a $1.38 billion Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) agreement with China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd.(CHEC), to build the new airport in two phases. Phase I is expected to cost $700 million while phase II will cost $680 million, Zhang Wenfeng, Manager Marketing Department of the East Africa Region, said.The signing was held at the Bahrain International Airshow 2014.The airport would include a four kilometre runway, 30,000 square metre terminal and 250,000 sqm apron land in phase I.In the second phase it would be 3200 metre runway with the terminal expanding to 35,000 square metre and the apron would be 170,000 square metres.CHEC, he said, has no financial obligation in the project, whereas the Exim Bank of China would be involved in the funding both phases."This is a reflection of the cordiality of relations that exists between China and Sudan," he said.The KNIA project director, Consulting Engineer M S Fatima M Abdullatif said that Sudan has released five per cent of the phase I funds, amounting to $35 million. She said that the new airport would be completed in 40 months after work begins. Once completed, it could take 12 million passengers annually.Khartoum now has 2.6 million passengers per annum.She added that the services offered, the huge refuelling facilities that the new airport would boast, the strategic positioning of the airport as an Africa hub and the commercial facilties the new structure offers should be able to pull the passenger loads."We are optimistic that once the new facility is up, the people will move in. After all Khartoum is not just Khartoum, it is at the confluence of three states in Sudan."The cargo area is 60,000 square metre in phase I that would double in phase II, The first runway will have an F4 rating and the second will have an F4A rating.