According to Le Quotidien newspaper, civil engineering work on an international airport in Enfidha located some 75 kilometres from Tunis, has started. The new airport will ease the pressure on the capital’s airport "Tunis-Carthage" while giving a new impetus to the region’s economy.
With a total cost of 600 million Tunisian dinars, the new airport will have a capacity of 30 million passengers a year. It will cover an area of 5700 hectares. It is expected to be operational by 2008.
Its location at the crossroads between the tourist resorts of Nabeul, Hammamet, Sousse and Kairouan is attracting foreign investors. An Italian engineering company has already commenced construction work for a nearby industrial area for 180 Italian companies that will relocate to the area.
According to the daily, some Italian investors are planning to build a Marina in Hergla, near Sousse. The newspaper added that once completed the new international airport will be attributed on the basis of a 40- year lease to an international company.
