Tunisia-Airports: inauguration and new enlargements of Djerba, Sfax and Gabes Airport

[Kris]

CARTHAGE, DEC. 22, 2007 - As part of following up projects of air transport infrastructure in southeastern regions of the country, president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, on Saturday, went to Sfax, Gabes and Djerba where he inaugurated the enlargements carried out in the regions' airports, in materialisation of the plan the Head of State had decided for developing the Tunisian airports network, reinforcing and modernising their services, in line with the rising needs of passengers' transportation, air links between regions and abroad and reinforcing the economic and tourist circuit in the country.

At the Sfax-Tyna airport, the Head of State inaugurated the new air terminal he had ordered to build two years ago.

He took interest in the main features of this 80,000- square-metre terminal whose hosting capacity is 500,000 passengers/year and which is to provide all air transport services, in conformity with the international standards in force. President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali also toured the various wings of the air terminal, from the public lounge equipped with all amenities and all services, the check-in desk, the police control and customs offices which benefit from all modern equipments, to the boarding hall.

The Head of State took interest in the rationalisation of the use of these areas between international and domestic traffic, in such a manner as to ensure the best services to passengers both at departure and arrival.

He also enquired about the other components of the airport development project, notably the construction of the new control tower and the new technical bloc, and the renovation of the runway and parking lot areas, and particularly the car and bus parking lots, in order to guarantee the easy flow of traffic and road safety.

Then, President Ben Ali headed to Gabes where he kick- started the building of a new air passengers terminal in the new airport which is to be named, as the Head of State instructed, the "Gabes-Matmata airport."

The new airport, which is to have a 200,000-passenger-a- year hosting capacity, is built in accordance with the modern air transport standards in force.

Finally,The Djerba-Zarzis airport was the third stage of the Head of State's visit. President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali inaugurated the new air terminal of this airport the hosting capacity of which has reached some 4 million passengers/year.

This achievement will help meet the development of the tourist flow in the region, improve the quality of services and promote the utilisation of modern techniques for rationalising the use of airport's spaces.


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