A new terminal is to be built at Muscat's Seeb International Airport at an estimated cost of $190.2 million following its recent privatisation.

A consortium of British Airports Authority (BAA), Oman's Bahwan Trading Company (BTC) and ABB Equity Ventures was awarded a 25-year concession to operate the Seeb and Salalah airports under the government's privatisation programme.

"The core of the airport privatisation mandate is to build a new terminal at Seeb International Airport and develop it as a regional hub with world class facilities," said BTC general manager Alex Borges.

"The existing Seeb airport will be knocked down in four phases over the next four years to build a new terminal

"The new airport with three levels on the airside and two levels on the landside will be able to handle 15 flights at a time, including seven of the largest Airbus A380s and three smaller aircraft."

Borges said the present landscape adjacent to Seeb airport will change totally after the development of the new terminal.

Major changes planned include new approach roads which will eliminate the Clock Tower roundabout, he added.

The approach road to the new airport will pass through an underground roundabout while the three existing car-parks in Seeb airport will be combined to facilitate parking facilities for 3,000 vehicles.

A state-of the-art cargo terminal will also be built.