Queen Alia International Airport traffic tally sets new records

Airport International Group (AIG), the Jordanian consortium responsible for the rehabilitation, expansion and operation of the Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA), announced that October has registered new records in passenger volume and aircraft movement, continuing the remarkable growth that QAIA has been witnessing this year.  

Passenger traffic (PAX) reached 526,584 PAX in October, up by 15.48 percent compared to same month last year. Aircraft movement (ACM) at the airport registered fair growth during October with 5,720 ACMs, an increase of 4.61 percent over October 2011. 

In terms of year-to-date (YTD) results, which extend from January to the end of October 2012, QAIA has surpassed the five million passenger mark with 5,353,776 PAX, a 17.27 percent increase over the same period in 2011. Additionally, ACMs have increased 6.98 percent over the same time frame, reaching a year-to-date total of 56,783 ACMs. Cargo traffic has also witnessed growth of 7.66 percent over the same period last year, reaching 77,594 tons YTD. 

Commenting on the latest figures, AIG CEO Kjeld Binger stated, “The traffic results for October continue to provide us with confidence in the future of QAIA. With the new terminal nearing completion, visitors will soon be welcomed to the Kingdom via a landmark, modern gateway, which we anticipate will have a positive impact not only on the airport, but on the entire country. These latest figures further bolster our commitment to working toward a prosperous future for both QAIA and Jordan.” 

AIG is investing an estimated US $750 million in the construction of a landmark new terminal, now 92% complete, which will serve as a source of pride and prosperity for all Jordanians. This new terminal will significantly increase the airport capacity to 9 million passengers annually, nearly three times the current airport capacity of 3.5 million passengers annually. Future expansions will further increase the airport capacity to 12 million passengers a year. AIG has also spent US $100 million on rehabilitating and improving the existing terminals to enable the airport to handle the continuous growth in passenger traffic.