The aviation minister's tour of construction sites at the Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada airports revealed mixed results. Amirah Ibrahim reports As the Red Sea's two main airports near the end of their long-awaited facelifts, one of the operations seems destined for success while the other may be mired in complications for a while. In Sharm El-Sheikh, 90 per cent of the construction on the airport's new four-million passenger capacity terminal is done. In Hurghada, however, the renovation and expansion of the old terminal are weeks behind schedule, and threatening to suspend more ambitious plans to construct a new terminal. Both airports badly need the upgrades to meet increasing growth and passenger movement. "Sharm El-Sheikh's capacity is three million passengers a year," said Ibrahim Mannaa', head of the Holding Company for Airports, "and yet the reality is that it is dealing with more than four million passengers annually, who sometimes suffer during arrival and departure procedures." According to Mannaa', there are troubles at Hurghada as well, since its 3.5 million passengers a year capacity is also starting to lag behind "the increasing demand on the Red Sea from Europe and the region." A World Bank loan is helping to fund the new terminal projects in Sharm El-Sheikh and at Cairo International Airport. At Hurghada, however, the ministry was forced to delay plans to build a new terminal, and settle for what Mannaa' called more "urgent measures" instead, including restoring the old building and its facilities at a cost of LE15 million, and adding a new but limited extension at LE40 million. These have boosted the old terminal's capacity by 40 per cent, taking it up to five million passengers a year. Aviation Minister Ahmed Shafiq toured both airports early this week, accompanied by airports officials and his top aides. In Sharm El-Sheikh, the minister was also accompanied by Omar Bin Laden, vice president of the Saudi contractor Bin Laden group, which won the $66.6 million contract to construct the airport's new terminal. The World Bank supervised the bidding process; construction began in February 2005 and should be done by June 2006. Shafiq indicated that there might be a slight delay in the dates, but that "the Saudi contractor was not to be blamed, and we understand the situation." The minister called the efforts in Sharm El-Sheikh and at Cairo International an "unprecedented event in Egypt's civil aviation history", in terms of the size of the work, the flow of the funding, and the levels of performance. More than 800 technicians and engineers are involved in the work going on at Sharm El-Sheikh, where the new terminal's giant concrete walls are designed to resemble the outline of a ship at sea. "This project is not our biggest, but it's the most important," Omar Bin Laden told Al-Ahram Weekly. "We have built 26 airports in Saudi Arabia and worldwide, including the Kuala Lampur airport in Malaysia. The challenge here, however, involved finishing the project in just 550 days." Bin Laden described the new building as "very unique", mainly due to the techniques used in its tent-like design. A new LE50 million tarmac is also under construction, which will help increase the airport's capacity from 33 to 48 planes. Mohamed Zamzam, head of the Egyptian Airport Company -- which supervises all of Egypt's airports, except for Cairo International -- also said a new four-kilometre runway would be built in March, so that the airport could host wide planes, including the A380. At Hurghada, the scene was not as optimistic. There is a wide gap between current capacity (5.6 million) and the "growth potential that is expected to take it up to 11 million passengers a year very soon," Zamzam said. However, the work to upgrade the airport -- due to be completed by December -- has been slow going. "If the renovation is not ready on time," Shafiq warned, "we will find another contractor to carry it out." According to Zamzam, the LE50 million upgrade should enlarge the terminal by more than 5000 metres, allowing separate areas for domestic and international flights. "We can also provide more visa counters, and check in and out scanners," he said. More long-term plans include constructing a new terminal to increase the airport's capacity from five to 12.5 million passengers a year. "The designs are now ready, and we will invite international contractors to bid in March; construction should start by mid June 2006," Zamzam said. A new tarmac and four-kilometre-long runway will be part of this phase as well. The airports in Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada are among the five Egyptian airports being run by the French company, Aéroport De Paris (ADP). The company's Egypt manager, David Patrice, said, "our main concern is rebuilding these five airports' administrative systems, which represent a major obstacle that continues to resist the development process." He said the staff is in the midst of an extensive training process, which involves sending a new group to Paris every three months for familiarisation with management methods. In the meantime, ADP has already established a Control Centre for Operation (CCO) at all five airports. "The CCO provides a database for all airport information, where airport operators can get vital information on flights, baggage transfer, alert systems, services provided, entrance visas procedures, costuming, etc," Patrice said. The first CCO system will be launched at the airport in Luxor in November, followed by Hurghada in December when the renovation is complete. Sharm El-Sheikh will have to wait until construction there ends in mid 2006. The Leading Hotels of the World Ltd, amongst the most prestigious luxury hospitality organisation, has certified the Oberoi Spa at The Oberoi, Sahl Hasheesh among the Leading Spas of the World 2006. The Oberoi, Sahl Hasheesh, a luxurious all-suite resort, is set on the coast of the Red Sea at Hurghada. With 48 acres of palm-filled grounds and 850 metres of private sandy beach, The Oberoi, Sahl Hasheesh is a spectacular and dramatic resort that offers a beautifully appointed Oberoi Spa that uses therapists by Banyan Tree, one of Asia's best-known spa companies. This Oberoi Spa by Banyan Tree now has the distinction of being among the best spas in the world. This year only eighty-five spas worldwide have been given this top certification, of which eleven are Oberoi Spas, making the Oberoi Hotels & Resorts the world's biggest Leading Spa operator. Leading Spas of the World is the first international luxury spa evaluation and certification programme introduced in 2004 by The Leading Hotels of the World Ltd. Being amongst the world's foremost authority for grading and inspecting hotels, Leading Hotels of the World established the Leading Spas designation as "the benchmark for global luxury standards in the spa and hospitality industry." To achieve this recognition, spas must fulfill a rigorous inspection process that encompasses scrutiny of more than 200 features. "We aspire to offer our guests the perfect blend of luxury and service excellence. 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The Oberoi Spas, which use therapists from Banyan Tree, one of Asia's best-known spa companies, provide a serene and truly unforgettable experience of pure pampering and relaxation in exquisitely beautiful surroundings. Oberoi Spas by Banyan Tree offer a variety of holistic treatments based on ancient Ayurvedic, Asian and Western therapies to relax, rejuvenate and inspire their patrons. Experts in the use of Ayurveda, Aromatherapy and traditional Western techniques, teams of highly skilled Thai therapists are hand-picked for the Oberoi Hotels and Resorts from the Banyan Tree Spa Academy in Phuket, Thailand. The Oberoi Spa recipes feature only the finest natural ingredients, often local to the particular hotel or resort, thus remaining true to the Asian tradition of respect for the environment. Spa treatments on the menu feature, massages, exotic body scrubs, floral baths, and rejuvenating beauty treatments that leave you feeling refreshed and renewed. The Oberoi, Sahl Hasheesh: This luxurious all-suite resort is set on the coast of the Red Sea at Hurghada. With 48 acres of palm-filled grounds and 850 metres of private sandy beach, The Oberoi, Sahl Hasheesh is a spectacular and dramatic resort. Shady marble colonnades, domed pavilions, atriums open to the sky - the elegance of the traditionally inspired contemporary Arabic architecture are a perfect complement to the setting. The Oberoi Group, founded in 1934, operates in six countries including India, Egypt, Mauritius, Indonesia, Australia and Saudi Arabia with 35 properties including the luxury Oberoi Hotels & Resorts and the superior first class Trident Hilton Hotels. The Group is also engaged in flight catering, airport restaurants, travel and tour service, car rentals, project management and corporate air charters. The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd is a prestigious luxury hospitality organisation representing more than 420 of the world's finest hotels, resorts and spas. Headquarters in New York City, the company maintains a network of more than 20 regional offices in key cities around the world. In 2005, the company launched Leading Spas of the World, the first global evaluation and certification program for the spa industry.
