Jijiga International Airport, Ethiopia is expected to inaugurate its passenger terminal and become operational in the coming 
few days. The construction of the airport took more than three years with the inauguration schedule delayed by more than a year.
The new passenger terminal will raise the number of passengers the airport is able to host from just 20 to 176 as well as offering place for offices, duty free shops, banking services, restaurants, souvenir shops and other amenities said Wondim Teklu, Head of Public Relations with the Ethiopian Airports Enterprise.
Businesses will be invited to bid for shop and office spaces in the airport terminal once the terminal is finalized said Wondim. The new terminal will be a great improvement on the corrugated iron terminal greatly uncomfortable in the high temperatures that is currently in operation he noted.The construction of the airport terminal was conducted in two phases at a cost of 101 million birr. The first phase of the project which took 51 million birr was the civil construction undertaken by domestic contractors Asmelash and Sons Construction and supervised by National Consultants.
The second phase of the project, which is being finalized, was the procurement and installation of various technical components at an estimated cost of 50 million birr.
The taxiway and apron construction was completed three years ago.
Source: Capital
