Egypt’s new Terminal 4 at Cairo International Airport is expected to cost between $4 billion and $4.5 billion and will raise the airport’s annual passenger capacity to 40 million, Civil Aviation Minister Sameh El-Hefny said.
The project will be financed through several financial institutions rather than self-financing, El-Hefny said in a phone-in interview with Al Nahar TV.
Construction is expected to take around four years, with the possibility of opening the terminal in phases after two and a half to three years. The project will also include smart entry gates, biometric information systems and other digital technologies to streamline passenger procedures.
Cairo International Airport’s three existing terminals have a combined capacity of around 28 million passengers annually, while traffic is expected to reach about 31 million passengers by the end of 2026, according to the minister.
Egypt’s airports currently have a combined maximum capacity of around 62 million to 63 million passengers, with the ministry targeting an increase in Cairo Airport’s capacity to 68 million-70 million passengers, before eventually exceeding 100 million passengers annually.
Meanwhile, the ministry has completed the preliminary stage of the tender to manage and operate Hurghada International Airport, with 10 international consortia comprising around 25-26 global companies participating.
The names of the participating consortia are expected to be announced next week, El-Hefny said.
The ministry is also studying the possibility of offering airports in integrated packages covering management, operation and development, as part of efforts to attract international airport operators and expand investment in Egypt’s aviation infrastructure.