Tripoli (Libya) - New Airport

Libya starts work on new billion euro airport

(TRIPOLI) - Libya said on Monday that work has begun on a new one billion euro airport for the capital Tripoli which will be able to welcome 20 million travellers per year.

The work is being carried out by a consortium of six companies including Vinci of France, Oderbrecht of Brazil and TAV of Turkey, under the supervision of a French research consultancy, state news agency JANA cited project director Abdel Majid Sadah as saying.

The 1,165 hectare (2,878 acre) site will be able to handle up to 100 planes, with a car park capacity of 4,400 spaces, Sadah said.

Transport Minister Mohammed Abu Ajila said the new airport would inaugurate a "radical change" in the country's air transport sector, adding that a further 2 billion euros have been set aside to modernise other airports in the country.