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NEWS: The 10 most expensive airport construction projects in 2022

The number of airport construction projects to break ground halved in 2022 from roughly 159 projects that cost a total of £110bn in 2021.


Through 2022, 68% of all projects are based on terminals, either expansions or new developments, totalling over $42bn investment combined.

Of the 10 most expensive airport projects that entered the execution phase in 2022, five are located in Asia, including the most expensive project out of these 10, proving the rapid growth of aviation in the region.

Here are the 10 most expensive airport construction projects that broke ground in 2022.

10. Mysore Airport Runway Expansion, India: $420m (INR34.8bn)

Airports Authority of India is expanding the Mysore airport runway in Mysore, Karnataka, India.

The project involves the expansion of the runway from 1,740m to 2,750m. It includes the construction and rehabilitation of the runway, parallel taxiway, exit taxiway pavement, drainage systems, and the installation of airfield lighting including the runway centre-line lights.

Karnataka State Small Industries Development Corporation is the nodal agency to oversee the transfer of land to AAI and the expansion works.

The purpose of the project is to facilitate the landing of more long aircraft and to cater to the rising demands of tourists every year.

Construction commenced at the end of 2022 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.

9. Western Sydney Airport Runway Expansion, Australia: $800m (AUD1.2bn)

The Australian Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, through WSA Co [Western Sydney Australia Company], is constructing a new runway at the airport in Badgerys Creek, Sydney, Australia.

The main aim of the project is to meet the increasing demand for international passengers and accommodate more international flights and flexible runways for the planes.

Sydney airport is already facing capacity issues and the requirement of a second airport is essential in the region to handle the traffic.

The project involves the construction of a 3.7km single east-west runway with a width of 60m. It includes the construction of a single full-length parallel taxiway, apron areas, pavements and access roads, and the installation of signalling and safety systems.

Construction on the runway commenced in March 2022 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

8. Reno-Tahoe International Airport Expansion, US: $1bn

The Reno-Tahoe International Airport Authority is undertaking the expansion of the airport in Reno, Nevada, US.

The project involves the expansion of the airport and will be developed in phases.

It includes the construction of an 887m2 ticketing area and lobby, five additional gates, a consolidated rental car facility space, and the renovation of B and C concourses.

In October 2022, construction commenced on the ticketing area and lobby and will be completed by the fourth quarter of 2023.

The entire project is expected to be completed by 2029.

7. Son Nhat International Airport Expansion, Vietnam: $1.1bn (VND250bn)

The Vietnam Ministry of Transportation, through the Airports Corporation of Vietnam, is expanding Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The project aims to expand the airport to increase its annual capacity from its overloaded capacity of 28 million in 2016.

The project involves the expansion and construction of a new terminal by increasing the total land area from 545 hectares to 791 hectares. It includes the construction of two terminals, T3 and T4, on 19.86 hectares of land and the expansion of existing T1 and T2 terminals.

The T3 terminal will be built on an area of 100,000m2 with a capacity to handle 20 million passengers per annum. The T4 terminal will be built on an area of 200,000m2 with a capacity to handle 20 million passengers per annum.

The project also includes the construction of the new technical service space, a hangar, an apron, repair and maintenance space, warehouses, a food processing space, a two-lane overhead path, a five-lane viaduct in front of the teal 3, and a multi-story car park.

After the expansion, the airport will meet the International Civil Aviation Organization’s 4E standards. It will handle up to 50 million passengers per year and up to 1 million tonnes of cargo per year.

In December 2022, construction works commenced, and the project is due to be completed by the end of 2026.

6. Pedernales Tourism Development, Dominican Republic: $2.3bn (DOP129.4bn)

The Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism, Dominican Republic is building a tourism development in Cabo Rojo, Dominican Republic.

The project involves the construction of six 4,700-room hotels, a drinking water distribution system, a sanitary drainage system, a pluvial drainage system, a wastewater treatment plant, the Cabo Rojo port, four docking positions, a passenger reception centre, a water park, shopping area, spa, andboutique hotel.

It also includes a maintenance area, beach area, 9.2km of sanitary sewage, storm drainage, 8.3km of drinking water supply, a new cruise terminal, internal roads, the Enriquillo-Pedernales highway, golf courses, a marina, a yacht club, a commercial area and an international airport, as well as the expansion of maritime terminal to have up to four berthing positions.

The project will be developed in four stages over a period of 10 years. The first phase will have six hotels.

The objective of the project is to generate economic activity, development of highways, electricity works and an airport, among others.

It will also create 20,000 direct jobs and 50,000 indirect jobs. It will generate jobs for the entire Enriquillo Region, made up of the provinces of Barahona, Pedernales, Independencia and Bahoruco.

5. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport Expansion, India: $2.4bn (INR180bn)

Ahmedabad International Airport, a subsidiary of Adani Airport Holdings, is undertaking the expansion of an airport in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.

The project involves the expansion of a 400,000m2 airport to handle 40.33 million passengers per annum.

It includes the construction of a cargo terminal on 5.7 hectares of land to handle 1 million tonnes per annum, a new integrated terminal building, waiting for lounges, parking and related facilities, and the installation of elevators, safety and security systems.

In July 2022, the groundbreaking ceremony was held and construction works commenced. It is estimated that the project will be completed in 2026.

4. Noida Airport, India: $3.8bn (INR296.5bn)

Noida International Airport, Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority, and Yamuna Expressway Industrial Authority are undertaking the construction of an airport in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.

The main aim of the project is to connect cities such as Agra, Mathura, and Gautam Buddha Nagar to the world’s aviation network, to further the industrialisation of the region, and to promote tourism by increasing traffic inflows.

The project involves the construction of a six-runway airport on 2,900 hectares of land. It will be developed in phases.

Phase I includes the construction of two runways, an air traffic control tower, and a passenger terminal with a capacity of handling 12 million passengers per year.

It also includes the construction of terminals, airside infrastructure, roads, utilities, landside facilities, ancillary buildings, installation, testing, and commissioning of an airfield ground lighting system, visual aids for navigation, and a bird hazard reduction system.

In September 2022 construction works on phase I commenced and are scheduled to be completed in September 2024. The whole project is expected to be completed by 2032.

3. Addis Ababa International Airport, Ethiopia: $4bn (ETB214bn)

Ethiopian Airlines Group (EAG) through Ethiopian Airports Enterprise (EAE), is building an international airport in Bishoftu, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The project aims to boost tourism and the economy of Ethiopia.

The new airport will function as an integrated transport centre with links to surface transport. It will position Ethiopian Airlines to consolidate its market share, benefiting from increased passenger traffic and air freight.

The project entails the construction of a new international airport on 35km2 of land, with a handling capacity of 100 million passengers annually. It is planned to be implemented in multiple phases.

The proposed development will be the second-biggest infrastructure project in terms of investment, after the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, and will be the largest airport.

It includes the construction of terminals, four runways, a traffic control operations building, a cargo building, restaurants, hotels, a shopping mall, office buildings, apartments, an administrative building, entertainment centres, and parking facilities; as well as the installation of elevators, escalators, and safety and security systems.

According to GlobalData, construction commenced in the second quarter of 2022 and is estimated to be completed by the end of 2023.

2. John F. Kennedy International Airport New Terminal One Redevelopment, US: $9.5bn

A major redevelopment of John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK Airport) is being developed in Queens, New York City by The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.

The project aims to redevelop the airport, which was opened in 1948, with the creation of unified terminal buildings that would allow easier passenger movements with flight connections and improve transport links, increasing the passenger capacity by at least 15 million annually.

The plans to redevelop JFK as a unified and “world-class” facility were proposed in 2014. In January 2015, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo created an Airport Advisory Panel, which includes Tishman Construction to advise the State of New York and the Authority on the modernisation of LaGuardia and JFK Airports.

JFK Airport has six terminals, each of which is managed by individual airlines or terminal operators.

The New Terminal One will be built by replacing the Terminal 1 (T1), T2, and the former T3 terminals and it will be developed in phases on 58.27ha of land.

It includes the construction of a 222,967m2 terminal with 23 gates, 27,870m2 retail space, two concourses, expanded arrival and departure spaces, 24 security screening lanes, 10,776m2 airline lounges, the development of 5,109m2 green space, children’s play areas and cultural exhibits, and the installation of safety and security systems.

Construction began in July 2022 and is expected to be completed by 2030.

1. Pudong International Airport Expansion Phase IV, China: $15.7bn (CNY100bn)

Shanghai Airport Authority is constructing a terminal building at Pudong International Airport as part of phase IV of the Terminal 3 expansion in Shanghai, China.

The project involves the construction of a terminal building on a 1.19 million square-metre gross floor area, with a handling capacity of 130 million passengers.

The terminal expansion includes supporting facilities, a comprehensive transport centre on 1.03 million square metres of land, airport parking spaces, aircraft catering, a freight station, overnight traveller housing facilities, and armed police houses.

It also includes public security and business premises, commercial and office buildings, taxiways, retail units, water supply units, rainwater and sewage treatment units, the installation of power, cooling, heating, gas, communications, information systems, and fire safety and rescue systems.

The project aims to increase retail space and runway to handle the growing numbers of passengers in the region.

Construction commenced in November 2022 and is estimated to be completed by the end of 2030 according to the GlobalData construction project database.

The source for this hardhatNEWS article is Airport Technology

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