Okaz/Saudi Gazette ARAR – People of the northern city of Arar have called upon authorities to launch international flights from their airport like their counterparts in Tabuk, Al-Jouf and Hail. The three airports currently offer flights to Egypt, Dubai, Turkey and Jordan. "We expect the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) would soon upgrade Arar Airport into an international airport to end our suffering," said Khalaf Al-Anazi while speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette after rumors that the airport expansion project has been disrupted. Al-Anazi criticized authorities for the delay in implementing the project. "We hope that GACA would speed up implementation of the expansion project considering the fact that the airport is located in the center of the administrative capital of the Northern Border Province." He expressed his dismay over the negligence of authorities in upgrading the airport to operate international flights like the neighboring airports of Tabuk, Hail and Al-Jouf. Fahd Al-Dahmashi also stressed the need to expand Arar airport as quickly as possible to operate international flights, coping with the needs of its people. "If developed as an international airport it would serve a large number of people in the region and facilitate their travel to foreign countries," he told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. He urged the government to take punitive action against officials responsible for delaying the project, causing problems to residents and dashing their hopes and interests. "The expansion project should not have taken this much time," he added. Meanwhile, a responsible source at Arar airport denied suggestions that the expansion project has been disrupted. "We have only canceled the development of a part of the new passenger lounge." Abdullah Al-Khorayef, spokesman of GACA, told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that he would send the complaints of citizens to the engineering department to get a response. But three weeks have passed and no reply has been received from the GACA spokesman. In January 2015, then GACA chief Prince Fahd Bin Abdullah announced the plan to expand Arar airport and two other airports in Jazan and Abha at a total cost of SR5 billion. The projects included establishment of King Abdullah Airport in Jazan, development of Arar airport, maintenance and operation of air navigation equipment and systems at various airports, operation, maintenance and cleaning works at Riyadh's King Khaled International Airport and King Fahd International Airport of Dammam. A number of development as well as operation and maintenance projects at some other airports have also been approved, according to a GACA press statement.
