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International Airport
Kuwait
International Airport is in Farwaniyah, about 16.5km
from the center of Kuwait city, a fast 20-minute drive.
Operated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation,
it is considered one of the safest airports in the
world. It is the only civilian airport in the country.
Kuwait International Airport (KIA) is one of the world's
most modern air transportation gateways utilising a host
of state-of-the-art facilities and equipment to handle
five million passengers yearly. The airport's cargo
terminal, capable of simultaneously accommodating up to
seven freighters, is one of the best equipped in the
Gulf region. The newly refurbished ATC tower uses
primary and secondary surveillance radars to control the
safe flow of traffic at the airport and across Kuwaiti
airspace as well as monitoring movements up to 250
nautical miles away.
Aeroplane fuel (Jet A-1) is provided by Kuwait Aviation
Fuelling Company (KAFCO) and aircraft catering by Kuwait
Aviation Services Company (KASCO). Kuwait Airways
Corporation (KAC) has its operational headquarters at
Kuwait International Airport and hangar age for private
aircraft is available through KAC.
KIA has a number of regular flights to destinations in
the Middle East, Europe and Asia.
The
airport has two terminals. The old Terminal One is used
for short-haul Passenger flights and freight, and has
nearby cargo handling and storage facilities. Just east
of this terminal is Terminal Two, the main passenger
terminal. All long distance flights depart from and
arrive at
Terminal
Two, which is built in the shape of an aeroplane, its
arrival and departure areas forming the wings of a long fuselage which
contains the aircraft access gates.
The
airport's spacious terminal building offers passengers
the high levels of comfort, efficiency and convenience.
Passenger facilities reach international standards and
include automatic baggage handling, TV monitors for
flight information, a bank, post office, restaurant and
buffets, hotel reservations and airline ticketing,
shops, a mosque, a transit
zone with duty free area, as well as an express courier
center and transit hotel. There are two duty-free shops
at the airport and a gift shop. There is a nursery,
several prayer areas and a medical centre. There are two
first-class business lounges on the first floor with fax
and Internet facilities.
A
two-year $39 million project was launched in September
2000 to expand the country's only international airport
to double its capacity to six million passengers a year.
The project includes car park, shops, airline offices,
restaurants etc. A new terminal is also in the planning
which will be executed on a build, operate and transfer
(BOT) basis.
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