Ready or not?

Aviation authorities get ready for the opening of a new terminal building at Cairo International, yet the new facility would not be fully in operation for several months, reports Amirah Ibrahim

---

Click to view caption

Aviation authorities revealed intentions to hold an official inauguration of the new state-of-the-art terminal building TB3 at Cairo International within a matter of days. President Mubarak is due to be the honoured guest at the event. The plans evoked questions about the reasons behind the rush while the facility is not ready for actual operation.

According to Cairo International Airport Chairman Fathi Fathallah, the new terminal is ready to launch a "soft opening" when it is appropriate. "All equipment has been set up at the building and qualified staff are ready to take over the facility in its first operational activity," stated Fathallah. "The planned opening is only a soft opening which is due to take between two to three months where all elements of operation come under examination," he explained.

"Operating the new TB3 will start with the national carrier's New York flights, followed by other international destinations by EgyptAir and Star airlines," he added.

Travelers through Egypt's main gateway will pass through the amazing facility of Terminal 3, though only if they are travelling on the national carrier or any of its Star Alliance sisters. TB3 is allocated only for the national carrier's international and domestic operations together with its Star sisters. "The domestic flights will move to TB3 after the pilgrimage season is completed, " explained Fathallah.

Whereas all the airline's activities were due to be transferred before the official inauguration, EgyptAir sources asserted it was too early to talk about full transfer of activities to the new facility. "I would not recommend such a transfer which might damage the carrier's business," explained an EgyptAir source who preferred his name to be anonymous. "The Star Alliance member airlines would prefer to move under one roof at TB3 but definitely when it is perfectly operating, " he added.

Some activities which operate in the building, explained the source, such as tourism and duty-free stores are ready to move soon after inauguration. Some such as technical maintenance and in-flight services will move to temporary facilities while permanent facilities are being constructed.

TB3 as a building is almost ready to operate flights with all airside requirements provided. Associated airside works include taxiing facilities, aprons, roads, drainage, flood lighting, a visual docking guidance system, passenger loading bridges, and full aircraft support services. But this is not the case with landside works where passengers are expected to flow and get connected to the terminal. Landside works include bridges and flyovers serving the traffic to and from the terminal building. The LE90 million road connecting the terminal with the ring road and Al-Ouroba road has not been completed. Landscape work around the terminal has not yet started. The parking area has yet to be constructed.

The situation is as follows: the new terminal is ready to operate flights but not ready to receive passengers in and out or to provide them with any service outside the building.

The only justification for the rush would be to meet the scheduled deadline for opening as announced before by the end of 2008. According to Fathallah, the expansion project covers the prime needs of the airport. "Developing the airport has been carried out through a number of phases including upgrading terminal 1, establishing a new road connecting the airport directly with the Cairo ring road, and constructing a new multi- storey garage. The new runway under construction at present will expand the current capacity from 100,000 to 600,000 per year. The last project to be released would be the monorail planned to connect the three terminals, and the multi-storey garage. It is scheduled to invite contractors to apply for an international tender for both projects by mid-January," he added.

The new terminal's overall cost exceeds $350 million, of which $280 million have been provided by the World Bank and $70 million by the Egyptian government. It is designed to handle 11 million international and domestic passengers per annum and comprises 164,000 squared metres of built-up area, including a central terminal of three main levels, two extendible capacity aircraft piers, gate facilities with 15 stands, and a concourse connecting the two piers with the main terminal. Provision is being made to accommodate the latest A- 380 superjumbo aircraft.