Lebanon airport expansion aims for 12 mln travellers a year

BEIRUT, Aug 29 (KUNA) -- Lebanon plans to expand Rafic Hariri International Airport, which currently accommodates up to five million passengers annually, to recieve 12 million passengers in the plan's initial stage.
The expansion project is expected to accomodate double that number at a later stage, Public Works and Transport Minister Youssef Fenianos Vinanos told a press conference.
The ministry is drawing up the project's blueprint, which will be reviewed by the government upon completion, he added.
Visitors to Lebanon's sole airport have reached 10 million passengers a year thus the expansion is desperately needed.
Furthermore, incoming and outgoing flights reached a record high on Monday, the minister said, with travellers reaching one million in August alone. (end) wsm.sd