Gov’t retains ‘full rights’ over QAIA — Transport minister

AMMAN — The government has “full sovereign rights” over Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA), including assets, lands, terminals and facilities, according to Transport Minister Anmar Khasawneh.

Khasawneh on Thursday said that the Airport International Group was granted a 25-year Build-Operate-Transfer concession agreement, signed in 2007 and valid until 2032, to rehabilitate, expand and operate QAIA through a public-private partnership (PPP) plan, which the minister regarded “among the best 40 PPPs” worldwide.

Implemented at a cost of some JD1 billion, the Treasury will not pay any operational or capital amounts towards the project, Khasawneh noted, stressing that QAIA is still registered under the Treasury’s name. 

The government’s share of QAIA’s gross revenues is “one of the highest” among similar international projects, he said, pointing out that the Treasury in 2018 received JD101 million, while up to the second quarter of 2019, Treasury revenues from the airport totalled some JD790 million.

Jordan’s “prime gateway” has welcomed about 74 million passengers since the contract started, in comparison with receiving 3.8 million travellers on an annual basis before that, he said, pointing out that in 2018, the arrivals totalled 8.65 million.

QAIA, in the Airport Service Quality Survey, has been named the “best airport of its size” in the Middle East, he added.