Terminal 2 of Kuwait International Airport.

KUWAIT: An informed source at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation spoke about taking steps towards operating Terminal 2 (T2) of Kuwait International Airport by an international operator, through preparing a limited tender. DGCA prepared the required specifications in the tender book, which include previous experience by the operator, most important of which is having operated similar airports, which made the tender be limited to around 10 operators, said the source in comments published by Al-Rai Arabic newspaper yesterday.

The source said among the most notable conditions is that the winning operator be available two years before operating the airport to train a large number of aviation employees on operating airports with the most modern means. He said the operator will be asked to review all service presenters and contracts at the airport - ground services, passenger terminals and aviation operators - and have a plan so that all terminals operate as one system and one airport with connected facilities. For instance, a passenger can arrive at the Jazeera Airways terminal and continue their travel to the Kuwait Airways terminal by train or bus.

The source said what was applied in selecting Incheon as an operator of Terminal 4 (T4) - according to the lowest bid for the required specifications - will be applied in the new tender, but "this time our experiences in civil aviation are now different as well as our conditions, as the operation of T4 and the obstacles it faced are now overcome and gave us a different vision".

With regards to whether Incheon could also be handed with the duty of operating the new terminal, the source said the operator of T4 expressed the desire to be part of the new tender, but was informed they will be treated the same as other companies without discrimination and can enter the bidding if they meet the conditions.

The source said those who were trained in T4 will be sought to help in operating the new airport, as 125 employees were trained each year as part of the Incheon contract. There are Kuwaitis working in the international operator who have reached the level of being candidates for managerial positions in operational specialties, and not administration. There are now around 70 Kuwaiti employees - an increase of 21 workers - as the contract with Incheon stipulates having 10 percent Kuwaiti employees, which is 49 out of 490.