MAHB TO TAKE NEW ISTANBUL AIRPORT TO GREATER HEIGHTS

From Nasriah Darus

ISTANBUL, Nov 2 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), which is
involved in development of the new Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport
(ISGIA), is expected to take the airport to greater heights, making it a global
premier airport for Turkey.

The new airport, which is another feather in the cap for MAHB, was built
within 18 months, which was considered a "world record" and more so since it did
not compromise on quality despite the short period.

MAHB's vast experience in managing 39 airports in Malaysia besides being
involved in two projects in India and one in Kazakhstan was crucial in the
success of ISGIA.

The project will benefit Turkey through contributing directly to the
country's economy and tourism industry by flying in tourists. Tourism is the
number one contributor to Turkey's revenue.

As the gates of the world, airports are symbolic of the globalised status of
a country with millions of passengers passing through international airports
every year. They travel for business, leisure and other reasons, bringing with
them different languages, cultures and worldviews.

ISGIA, developed by a consortium in which MAHB was part of and opened on
Saturday by Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, certainly has all the
features to emerge as a world-class entry point for Turkey.

MAHB joined hands with GMR Infrastructure Limited of India and Turkey's
Limak Group to develop, manage and operate ISGIA on a 20:40:40 basis.

GMR chairman G.M. Rao said the consortium, which consisted of a good
combination of three leading companies, had incorporated each other's superior
expertise in the project.

ISGIA, which chalked up the highest passenger growth rate between 2002 and
2007, handled 4.5 million passengers in 2007.

It is expecting 6.1 million passengers this year and more than 8.5 million
passengers next year, with passenger traffic set to reach 25 million passenger
by 2023.

The new airport involved an investment of 500 million euros (US$737.6
million) and will cater for 10 million passengers annually.

The project was built under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) model.

In his speech at the opening ceremony, Erdogan expressed satisfaction with
the project, saying the government would initiate a similiar concept encouraging
foreign and Turkish firms to join forces to develop other airports in the
country.

Malaysia's Deputy Transport Minister Abdul Rahim Bakri said the
international recognition and accolades that the Kuala Lumpur International
Airport (KLIA) had received throughout its 11 years of operation was testament
to MAHB's ability to compete with other more established international airports
in the world.

"I am proud to say that ISGIA is in very good hands with Malaysia Airports,
and together, we will soar to greater heights," he said during the opening.

Abdul Rahim said the new airport launch reflected further success for MAHB
in spreading its wings in the international aviation industry beyond Malaysian
shores.

Besides being a shareholder in the consortium, MAHB is also involved in
providing advisory and consulting services in the airport master plan and
detailed design study, especially in operational readiness and airport transfer
exercise.

MAHB is currently managing and operating 39 airports in Malaysia, comprising
five international, 16 domestic and 18 short take-off and landing ports.

ISGIA is expected to start its commercial operations on Nov 9. The airport,
which is on the Asian side of the bicontinental city, is named after Sabiha
Gokcen, the world's first female combat pilot.

MAHB chairman Dr Aris Othman said the project was an important
opportunity for the company as it was targeting to grow in the international
arena.

"We are fully confident that the Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International
Airport of Turkey would be made one of the global airports of the first rank,"
he said.

He added that MAHB's consultancy arm, Malaysia Airports Consultancy
Services, was continuously exploring other overseas opportunities to further
expand its expertise and knowledge in airport management.

In his speech, Limak chairman Nihat Ozdemir said among the investment made
by the consortium, a significant contribution was employment, one of the
critical issues of the Turkish economy, with the creation of 10,000 jobs.

-- BERNAMA