Thursday, 16 October 2008 |
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Abu Dhabi International Airport has come a long way since the 1960s. When first opened, pilots were forced to land on a desert strip marked by discarded oil drums. Meanwhile, guards patrolled the area to prevent camels straying onto the runway.

How times change. The airport is now considered one of the Middle East's leading hubs following a location switch and continual redevelopment. Indeed, ADIA was recently named best hub in the Middle East and Africa by the Airports Council International, a global organisation representing hundreds of airfield operators.

We are only as good as our people and that’s from management down to the chaps that work on the ramp or check-in desks.

It also reported rising passenger numbers, with 552,797 people travelling through the airport in this year's opening half - up from 439,556 during the same period last year.

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Getting the UAE capital's airport in shape has taken past and current management almost five decades, according to Khalifa Mohamed Al Mazrouei. But the chairman and managing director of hub operator Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) insists the timescale for further change is much shorter. By 2010, the airport's latest redevelopment will be complete following a US$7 billion investment. Work is already underway, with Al Mazrouei and his colleagues commissioning a second runway capable of handling wide-body aircraft such as the Airbus 380. The management team at ADAC, which was formed in March 2006 to boost the emirate's aviation industry, also plans to build a third terminal by next year.

A joint venture between Al Habtoor Engineering and Murray & Roberts was established to develop the new three-storey terminal. It is expected to handle some five million passengers each year, with eight gates accommodating wide-bodied aircraft. Once completed, the building will be exclusively used by Abu Dhabi-based carrier Etihad Airways.

"The reason behind this major redevelopment is to update the aging terminal and accommodate more passengers," Al Mazrouei says. "It's driven by increased demand and we are developing the airport in an incremental way to carry out future growth without jeopardising the operational effectiveness of the terminals."

Elsewhere, a midfield terminal will be built by London-based architect Kohn Pederson Fox Associates. A team of industry experts, including Netherland Airport Consultants BV, has been assembled by ADAC to build the terminal, which will be situated between the two runways. The airport's bosses expect the building to increase passenger traffic to 20 million, and eventually 40 million following further work.

Aside from another runway and passenger terminals, ADAC is also planning to develop a 110 metre high air traffic control tower. Like the midfield terminal, the five-storey structure will be located between the runways. The latest meteorological and navigation equipment is expected to be installed and operational by June next year. When open, the tower will handle up to 70 landings and takeoffs every hour.

Background

Abu Dhabi International Airport was built in the 1960s, but quickly lost pace with other developments taking place across the emirate.

By 1982, a new airport was built some 30km east of Abu Dhabi City. The new facility, which was designed to handle 3.5 million passengers each year, was built on a 1700 hectare site. Before building began, the airport's management secured further land for future expansion.

The current multi-billion dollar master plan is expected to increase the airport's passenger capacity to 20 million passengers by 2010, once the new midfield terminal is complete. A second runway, air traffic control tower, cargo complex, and duty free zone will also be built.

The airport will serve Abu Dhabi, one of the world's fastest growing cities. The UAE capital has rapidly grown from an obscure coastal trading community into a cosmopolitan city that attracts local as well as international investment.

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