Additional International Airports Are Not Necessary

According to Eng Ahmed Al-Manfouhi, the Director-General of Kuwait Municipality, there is no need for another international airport based on the fourth structural plan of Kuwait.

Eng Al-Manfouhi said in a letter that the information regarding the construction of a new airport in the north of Kuwait would be approved by the Municipal Council, and that the analysis of the past policies of the airport indicated that the need for a second airport has been identified.

The state's master plan should continue to provide capabilities for such an airport, however. In 1988, the second review of Kuwait's structural plan was conducted, and in 1997, the third structural plan was adopted.

The airport was proposed for the north of Kuwait Bay, west of Subbiya, and east of Sabriya field in 2005. In order to facilitate import and export operations, provide ports with facilities, and be able to serve the northern half of the State of Kuwait with the least possible noise pollution, Al-Manfouhi explained that this site was originally proposed for the airport to be well connected to the new port on Boubyan Island.

Since the structural plan was updated in 2005, it was clear that the proposal needed to be studied in greater depth, especially in light of Kuwait's relatively small size and the site selected.

It was further noted by Al-Manfouhi that work is under way to adopt the fourth structural plan for Kuwait, which indicates that there is no need to construct an additional airport, as the expansion of the current airport will be sufficient to serve 50 million passengers annually, and this expansion will increase air cargo traffic, and it will be connected directly to the railway line with the metro plan areas such as Salmiya, Kuwait City, the airport building and the Sixth and Seventh Ring Roads.

According to him, the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation is coordinating with the Municipal Council on the matter, and the necessary measures can be taken based on the decision of the Council. The decision, however, did not specify the areas or locations.

A decision by the Municipal Council on January 10, 2022, regarding the construction of a new airport in the north of the country, did not specify any details about the exact location, the area or the entity that would supervise the project.

According to the Municipal Council's decision, the following was approved: "Approval of the proposal submitted by Ahmed Hadyan Al-Enezi regarding the allocation of a site for the construction of a new airport in the northern region, as this is in line with the studies and proposals of Kuwait's fourth structural plan."

In a letter to the DGCA on June 21, 2022, the municipality requested information regarding the Municipal Council's decision, so that the municipality could complete the necessary procedures in accordance with the existing system.

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