Agencies handling the operation of King Fahd International Airport (KFIA) will complete today the various aspects of trial operations of the new airport, which is scheduled to be opened on October 18th by Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General.

During the fire drill at the airport on Sunday, Moazen Khashigshi, Director of KFIA, was quoted by the Saudi Gazette as saying that the final stage of the trial run at the airport will be the take-off and landing of air buses. Members of the media were invited Saturday to witness the emergency 'fire incident' landing at the airport runway, which involved all agencies operating in the airport. The two-hour fire drill, wherein 42 victims were rescued, underscored the readiness and expertise of the airport authorities in handling emergency problems. Members of the media toured the various facilities of the new airport, the Kingdom's largest and most modern international airport. 'All preparations are currently in hand for the opening of the airport,' said Maher Khazhigshi, Public Relations Director of the airport.

The KFIA, located 50 kilometers north west of Dammam, was constructed under the supervision of international airport projects authority under the direction of the Ministry of Defense and Aviation.

During its initial operation, the airport will be capable of handling five million passengers annually. The number of passengers could be increased to 16 million in years to come. Constructed on an area of 776 square kilometers, the new airport has two parallel runways 4,000 meters long and 60 meters wide capable of servicing and accommodating the biggest flying aircraft.

Abdul Rahman Al-Khalaf, Head of the Civil Aviation, told the Arabic newspaper Okaz that preparations had been stepped up for the airport's inauguration next month. He said the new airport, which is to become a major hub for east-bound flights, was an essential part of the Kingdom's efforts to develop its aviation industry. The cost of the new airport, the fourth international airport in the Kingdom was estimated at SR 7.5 billion. Saudi Arabia has 27 airports, including 23 regional airports, with a total worth of SR 50 billion.

Arab News, which published the Okaz newspaper report today, quoted Al-Khalaf as saying that the new airport could accommodate 15 aeroplanes of varying sizes at a time. 'There are special parking areas to accommodate more,' he added. He said the opening of the airport, which is designed in accordance with Islamic architecture, coincided with the Kingdom's centenary celebrations. He added that support services would be given to aircraft using the smallest amount of equipment necessary to maintain efficiency. Al-Khalaf commended the efforts of Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz to develop the country's aviation industry.

Source: SPA