A study on building new airport in Tunisia

The National Bureau of Airports and Civil Aviation in Tunisia is currently considering two hypotheses, one relating to the expansion of the airport, the second is the dispensing of the current airport and the establishment of a new one. In September 2016, the head of the bureau, Khaled Al-Shali, announced in national radio that a new airport could be completed in the Buhnish area of Ariana, considering the presence of non-agricultural land in these areas. While others are promoting that the new airport location will be in Otic from, in the state of Bizerte.

Al-Shali called for expanding the airport as a first step to be able to receive as many passengers as possible, and then a new airport would be completed. He expected the new airport to cost between $ 2,000 and $ 3,000 billion. "The new airport will contain a range of lodges and industrial area in the aviation field," he said.

Al-Shali stressed that no final decision has been taken so far, adding that a cabinet meeting will soon be held to take the decision, considering that it is a government decision that takes into account several economic, social and climatic factors. Studies completed in this regard suggest that either changing the location of the airport or expanding it will be to improve reception capacity.

On 16 February 2017, Transport Minister Anis Ghedira, stated, on the sidelines of a hearing session by the People's Assembly, on the Five-Year Development Plan 2016-2020 for Transport and Logistics, that the decision to expand or transfer Tunis-Carthage Airport would be decided upon by the cabinet. In the view of Ghadira, it is desirable to complete a new airport in Tunisia equipped with advanced technologies.
 
Compared to other international airports, Tunis airport is worthless. Experts criticized the lack of a future vision that fits the tourist directions and the non-linking of the airport by multimodal transport, pointing out that it is not possible today to build an airport without guaranteeing it to be linked to the multi-modal transport (train and bus), as the traveler must move quickly upon arrival the airport.