The new Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKIA) in Tehran is expected to become fully operational by June 2002, taking over all domestic and international flights from Tehran’s other international airport, Mehrabad, Iran’s Parliamentary Development Commission recently announced, reported Resalat.
The airport’s recently completed first phase, initially gives it capacity to accommodate 12 million passengers and 200,000 tons of cargo annually. Depending on demand, IKIA’s design allows for an expansion to 40 million passengers and 700,000 tons of cargo in the future. IKIA is built on 15-hectares of land, located 30 kilometers south of Tehran on the Tehran-Qom highway.
Work on the project began before the Islamic Revolution took place in 1979, but was halted due to political circumstances. Construction resumed in 1994, with currently only the final phase left to be completed. The delay in completing IKIA inflicted a loss of one million dollars per day on the country, Deputy head of the Society of Construction Companies Engineer Mohammad Atarodian estimated in an interview with Aftab-e Emrouz last year.
The Ministry of Roads and Transportation, overseeing the airport’s construction, contracted Aeroports de Paris (ADP) to draw up IKIA’s master plan, undertake supervision of procurement, installation and integrate of airport equipment and systems. IKIA’s main contractors are two Iranian companies, Dey and Melli Sakhteman. The UK-based Fernau is amongst the international of the project. — (Menareport.com)
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
