19 October 2013
China will fund the construction project of Imam Khomeini Airport's (IKA) subway, said the roads and urban development minister.

Abbas Akhoundi also said a township as well as free and trade zones will also be established at the airport by the end of the Fifth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2015).

Speaking on the sidelines of his visit to IKA's development project, he said the project of constructing a subway linking the airport to the new Parand City is a strategic plan for connecting the airport to Tehran through a railroad.

He said the project will be implemented with the participation of Tehran Urban and Suburban Railroad Company and the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, putting the length of the subway at 52 kilometers.

Akhoundi noted that financial issues of the project will be resolved and organized next month.

Since oil revenues were blocked in China due to the sanctions, the Chinese government will fund the project using the frozen Iranian money.

Stressing that IKA's Terminal 2 should be completed as soon as possible, Akhoundi said this terminal has a capacity of transferring 20 million passengers per year, which is 3.5 times bigger than the airport's first terminal.

IKA is Iran's largest and most important airport located about 30 kilometers southwest of Tehran.

© Iran Daily 2013