MADINAH — The test run of the new Prince Muhammad Bin Abdul Aziz International Airport in Madinah, which was to be carried out yesterday (Sunday), has been postponed by a week and will now be carried out next Sunday, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) announced. It said plans for the experimental operation were postponed because of the sandstorm, which had affected air traffic at a number of domestic airports. "We want the test run to be a complete success," it said in a statement. GACA said the experimental operation of the airport would be for a limited period of time until its formal launching. "The test run is aimed at assessing the readiness of all the systems, tools and organs as a prelude for the commercial operation of the airport. “The airport will have an annual capacity of eight million passengers in the first phase of its development," GACA said. A number of government and private bodies have already established their offices and branches at the airport as part of preparations for its official launching. Officials of these organs said the airport has been built according to the highest international standards and specifications, which will facilitate the arrival and departure of passengers. Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) said it has completed the establishment of its offices and supplied them with the necessary personnel to process the passports of arriving and departing passengers. Mohammed Al-Bijawi, director of the Ministry of Haj's branch in Madinah, said the new airport is the Kingdom's gate to the world and will serve residents, visitors and pilgrims. The airport, occupying an area of four million square meters, has been built at a cost of about $1.4 billion on the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) method of financing. It consists of arrival and departure lounges built on an area of 153,000 square meters. It has 16 gates connected to 32 flyovers that will take passengers to and from aircraft. The airport has 64 travel desks, which will be increased by 16 extra desks during peak times in Ramadan and Haj. It has 10 luggage conveyors.
