THIS is the brand-new £3 billion airport upgrade in a tiny Middle Eastern country could feature in your long-haul holidays.
Kuwait International Airport is to become the new regional air hub in the Gulf with its state-of-the-art terminal building.
The Terminal 2 upgrade at the airport is in progress. It is anticipated that an enormous number of 25 to 50 million passengers will use the extremely luxurious new facility annually.
The new terminal will consist of three wings, each extending over 1.2km. Additionally, it will feature advanced baggage systems capable of handling approximately 3,000 bags per hour.
The building has been designed predominantly to adapt to extreme changes in temperature that Kuwait experiences.
Despite having a population of less than five million, the Middle Eastern country experiences high temperatures, ranging from 45°C in the summer to 6°C in the winter.
Kuwait’s unbelievable airport development is to also include super-advanced technology and an efficient immigration system.
When the mega-development was being designed, architects looked to combine traditional Kuwaiti architecture with modern luxury.
The three departure wings all connect into an open central space that is a whopping 25m in height.
Alongside the developing site being a great place for long-haul travellers to kick their feet up and relax, it will also be filled with fun features.
An advanced air conditional system is to be installed in the terminal, and is designed to work with the terminal’s energy saving targets.
Meanwhile on the ceiling, 8,000 skylights will be strategically placed to brighten the gargantuan terminal.
And a whopping 81,000 photovoltaic panels on the roof will generate electricity to fuel the site.
The terminal’s modern baggage handling system is set to span an unbelievable 6km.
It will also be able to securely process 2,930 per hour to ensure those passing through the airport won’t have to wait a second for their luggage.
Terminal 2 will also have a total of 120 check-in desks to prevent any queues that could delay travellers.
Passengers will then go on to their boarding gates through various fixed link bridges.
Plans for a metro line from the terminal are also under planning, with hopes that the line can be integrated into Kuwait’s Transportation Network to ensure travellers can go to and from the airport with ease.
