Singapore’s Changi loses contract to manage Jeddah airport

A consortium of Changi Airports International (CAI) and Saudi Naval Support Company on Wednesday said it has received a notice from Saudi Arabia’s aviation authority terminating the agreement to operate and manage Jeddah’s new King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA).

The consortium said it was reviewing the contents of the notice from General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).

It added that it had observed the request for proposal process as stipulated by GACA and submitted the required documentation for the authority’s review.

The consortium had also obtained all approvals required before the award of the 20-year concession, awarded last year. 

In a separate statement, GACA said it will tender the airport and unveil the related terms soon, without giving more details.

The move is unlikely to impact KAIA’s launch and trial operation scheduled for May 2018, the aviation sector regulator added.

CAI is the foreign investment and airport management arm of Singapore’s Changi Airport.