Airport International Group Showcases Efforts to Improve Local Tourism
Airport International Group Showcases Efforts to Improve Local Tourism
Airport International Group (AIG), the Jordanian consortium responsible for the rehabilitation, expansion, and operation of the Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA), recently discussed its own role in promoting tourism in Jordan while participating in the international conference titled, “Seizing Tourism Market Opportunities in Times of Rapid Change.”
The conference, hosted by the Jordan Tourism Board on June 5thand 6that the King Hussein Convention Center at the Dead Sea, focused on current opportunities in the tourism market. Around 400 individuals were in attendance, including representatives from the media, tourism associations, travel agents, and tourism sector experts.
In a panel discussion titled, “How can growth expectations of the Aviation sector contribute to a more competitive and sustainable travel and tourism industry,” panelists stressed that the public and aviation sectors should work together for mutual benefits and to overcome shared challenges. In addition to that, participants agreed that the aviation and tourism industries are inseparably linked and must cooperate with each other.
During the panel discussion, AIG CEO Kjeld Binger highlighted the airport’s efforts to promote Jordan as a unique tourism destination and emphasized that investing in airports to modernize infrastructure positively contributes to the growth in tourism.
Binger described how the airport has taken tangible steps to improve tourist’s journey by ensuring that their experience travelling through the airport is smooth and comfortable. During the panel, the airport’s chief shared the QAIA’s passenger traffic results for 2011 – around 5.5 million travelers - with 1.4 million travelers in the 1st quarter of 2012. In addition, Binger noted that the number of airlines using the airport has risen to 44 from 28 in 2007, and the total number of flights using the airport has grown to 1,220 weekly flights.
Binger also shed some light on AIG’s USD 100 million investment in the rehabilitation of the QAIA’s existing terminals, along with the USD 750 million spent to construct a new state-of-the-art terminal. According to Binger, the facility will be a national landmark and a key factor in contributing to the Jordanian tourism sector through attracting more passengers and airlines to Kingdom. The terminal is now 85% complete, and is expected to be operationally ready by the end of this year. Following extensive testing, the terminal will be opened in an early morning transition in early 2013, thereby expanding capacity of 9 million passengers annually overnight.
Binger added that AIG’s strategy is in line with national objectives to develop the tourism sector. This strategy is supported by AIG’s expertise in deftly managing the airport and its expansion in a fluid local and regional environment.