Abu Dhabi Airport has started an extension that will increase passenger capacity to 7.2 million per year. The work is to be completed in 2007. Bordeaux Airport is being expanded to enable annual passenger throughput to rise from the current 1.5 million a year to around five million. Work has officially begun on the new Bfr8 billion ($214 million) Concourse A terminal building at Brussels Airport. When it opens in October 2001, the new terminal will add 31 gates and will be able to handle 10.8 million passengers, bringing Brussels airport total capacity to 22 million passengers a year. The design concept for the new south terminal complex at Orlando International has been completed, which enables an additional 40 million passengers to be handled annually. The airport currently handles 28 million passengers annually, and the first phase of the expansion is due to open in 2002. The Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) has acquired Pilanesberg Airport, Sun City. A 25 year lease agreement with the North West provincial government signed on 1 April gave ACSA effective influence over the airport. Management will be under the operational control of Johannesburg International Airport (JHI). An investment of 20 million Rand ($3.2 million) will be made to upgrade runways, taxiways and aircraft parking areas to accommodate larger aircraft such as Boeing MD-80s and 737s. Air Atlanta Icelandic is centralising its £10 million ($16 million) parts operation at Kent International Airport, Manston, UK, and is considering the building of a widebody maintenance hangar. Belgium's regional Flemish government plans to contract the running of its airports at Antwerp and Ostend to concessionaries and is inviting tenders. London Stansted has received planning permission for a £200 million ($320 million) expansion of its passenger terminal, which will increase annual throughput to 15 million passengers by 2006.
Source: Flight International
