King Fahd International Airport in Dammam is raising its operational readiness by launching the General Aviation Terminal project and upgrading the automatic landing system on the western runway to Category III, in a step aimed at enhancing flight continuity and raising the efficiency of operations.
Prince Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz, Emir of the Eastern Province, inaugurated the two projects in the presence of Minister of Transport and Logistic Services and Chairman of the General Authority of Civil Aviation Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Chairman of Matarat Holding Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, and a number of officials, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
A New General Aviation Terminal
The General Aviation Terminal project is a qualitative addition to the airport's facilities, covering a total area of more than 23,000 square meters, while the main hall covers 3,935 square meters, supporting operational efficiency and faster completion of travel procedures.
The project includes aircraft stands covering 12,415 square meters with capacity for 4 aircraft at a time, as well as support services and car parks covering 6,665 square meters, enhancing the flow of traffic and providing an operating environment suited to general aviation users.
The Kingdom's First Category III Automatic Landing System
On the air operations side, the project to upgrade the automatic landing system to Category III is the first of its kind at the Kingdom's airports and is classified among the most advanced air navigation systems in the world, allowing aircraft to land automatically when visibility is low, helping ensure flight continuity, raise the reliability of operations and strengthen the safety system.
The project included rehabilitating the 4,000-meter western runway, in addition to 4,000 meters of aircraft taxiway, equipped with more than 3,200 lighting units operating under a unified system with advanced technologies in line with modern operating requirements and serving various types of aircraft.
Minister of Transport and Logistic Services Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser stressed that the two projects embody the goals of the Aviation Program emanating from the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, and reflect the leadership's support for the aviation sector, enhancing the competitiveness of Saudi airports and raising their operational readiness.
For his part, President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej explained that the General Aviation Terminal comes as part of efforts to develop this sector and create an attractive investment environment, adding that "Universal" has been selected as operator of the general aviation terminals at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.
In turn, the CEO of Dammam Airports, Eng. Mohammed bin Ali Al-Hasani, noted that the implementation of the two projects was the fruit of institutional integration between the General Authority of Civil Aviation, Matarat Holding, Dammam Airports, the National Center for Meteorology and the Saudi Air Navigation Services company, to ensure operational readiness and raise levels of safety and efficiency.
It is worth noting that Dammam Airports manages and operates 3 airports in the Eastern Province: King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Al-Ahsa International Airport and Al-Qaisumah International Airport.
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