November 04, 2009 22:37 PM

New Facilities At Haj Terminal For Pilgrims

JEDDAH, Nov 4 (Bernama) -- Jeddah's Haj terminal is well- prepared to receive pilgrims, with new terminals, arrival lounges and special rooms for swine flu cases, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported Khaled Al-Khaibari, head of media for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), as saying Tuesday.

"We will use the old terminals to receive pilgrims, but we have also set up seven new terminals to receive the largest number of pilgrims," Al-Khaibari said.

"Until now we have received about 856 flights from around the world. A total of 200,136 pilgrims have arrived since Oct 20," he added.

CAA, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health has also installed thermal cameras that can detect swine flu cases, according to a report published Wednesday by Saudi Gazette.

"We have already established special rooms for receiving swine flu cases, in addition to having prepared medical personnel to conduct swine flu tests," added Al-Khaibari.

Special training has also been provided for the airport's cleaning staff on measures to help avoid infection, he said.

According to Al-Khaibari, the new terminals have the latest technology to link various parts of the airport, including the use of moveable bridges.

"The new terminals have the capacity to receive 3,700 passengers every hour in prime time," he added.

He said that there are a number of other developments taking place at the airport.

"When these new projects are completed, King Abdul Aziz International Airport will have 10 moveable bridges, 13 terminals, and four additional lounges to receive arriving pilgrims," Al-Khaibari said.

-- BERNAMA

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