SAUDI ARABIA. TAV Airports has won the rights to manage Qassim and Hail international airports, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has confirmed. TAV will have a 30-year contract at each location. The move takes TAV’s Saudi portfolio to four airports and its worldwide network to 17.
TAV Airports President & CEO Sani Şener said: “TAV has become one of the world’s preferred brands thanks to the know-how acquired in airport construction and operation business.
“TAV’s success in the Madinah Airport project, which was the first airport privatisation project in Saudi Arabia, opened new doors in this country. In the last two months, TAV has been selected by the Civil Aviation Authority of Saudi Arabia for the development and operation of three more airports.
“With the addition of Qassim and Hail to our portfolio, the number of passengers [TAV will handle] in Saudi Arabia will increase to 10.5 million per annum, while the number of passengers at all airports abroad [outside Turkey] will reach 25 million. TAV has its signature in the capital city airports of six countries in the Gulf Region, which is the most challenging market of the world. We sustain our growth in the region by working in harmony with our local partners. Furthermore, we continue seizing the opportunities in various regions worldwide.”
With around 2.5 million passengers between them last year, Qassim and Hail airports will reach capacity of about 6.5 million a year thanks to fresh investment.
Located in the centre of the Arabian Peninsula, Qassim is one of the 13 administrative regions of Saudi Arabia. Qassim Airport is the gateway to the region, where the majority of the country’s agricultural production takes place. It is a significant tourism destination, noted TAV, with 12 airlines including Turkish Airlines operating scheduled flights there.
TAV has been operating Madinah Airport in Saudi Arabia since 2012. In March, the company was selected to run Yanbu Airport. In addition, TAV has operations at Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam airports through its service companies.
