Riyadh: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) has signed a 1 billion Saudi Riyals agreement to appoint Daa International as the operator of the upcoming Red Sea International (RSI) airport in the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
The agreement was signed in the presence of the Minister of State at the Department of Transport in Ireland, Hildegarde Naughton TD, and Ireland’s Ambassador to the Kingdom, Gerry Cunningham at the Red Sea Development Company’s Riyadh office.
Red Sea International will be fully powered by 100 per cent renewable energy. The facility is expected to become the region’s first-ever carbon-neutral airport.
The CEO of the Red Sea Development Company, John Pagano said, the airport will receive the first visitors in early 2023.
“Red Sea International is ushering in a carbon-neutral, net zero era for airport designs and operations,” he said.
“As the region’s first-ever airport powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, RSI will serve as an innovative blueprint for decarbonised urban destinations of the future.”
The airport was designed by Foster + Partners. It will be able to handle about one million domestic and international tourists per year by 2030 – at a peak of 900 travelers per hour.
The airport has been officially registered with the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
It recently completed landing and take-off tests on the 3.7-kilometre runway, while the team celebrated eight million safe working hours with 2,400 workers.
RSI will become the first and only airport in the region with a dedicated runway for seaplanes and water aerodromes, regulated by a new set of GACA safety guidelines
The destination will also serve various types of seaplanes based on hydrogen fuel, which It is provided by hydrogen electric aircraft manufacturer ZeroAvia, as well as Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) technology and Electric Short Takeoff and Landing (eSTOL) technology.
