Delegates from the consortium signing the deal with the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority. (Photo: UCC Holding)
The project, said to be the largest in Syria’s history, has been awarded to an international consortium led by Urbacon Concessions Investment, a subsidiary of Qatar’s UCC Holding, alongside Turkey’s Cengiz İnşaat and Kalyon İnşaat, and US-based Assets Investments.
Early works have already started, including development of the new Terminal 2, rehabilitation of the airport’s hotel building, and upgrades to the main access road, with the consortium committing to an accelerated timetable.
Terminal 2 is scheduled to enter operation before the upcoming Hajj season, following completion of security, navigation, handling and fuelling systems.
The consortium said the phased expansion will raise capacity initially to 6 million passengers per year by the end of 2026, as Terminal 1 undergoes redesign and refurbishment in parallel.
A larger build-out will follow, including new airside infrastructure and a new Terminal 3 built to ICAO and IATA standards, offering up to 32 boarding gates.
The first phase of Terminal 3 will lift capacity to 16 million passengers annually, before the final build-out increases overall capacity to 31 million.
The project also includes a $250 million programme to finance new aircraft and is expected to generate more than 90,000 direct and indirect jobs across construction, operations and related services.
Ramez Al-Khayyat, president of UCC Holding, said the consortium is advancing according to a precise work plan and operational methodologies and would ensure enhanced efficiency and sustainable operational performance for the airport.
