Work is close to completion on the Midfield Terminal Building, according to Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), with the project already being 97% complete.
The Midfield Terminal Building encompasses an enormous floor area of 742,000 square metres and offers some of the world’s best facilities with a strong offering of retail outlets.
ADAC is hoping to make sure that the airport is seen as a desirable destination for every airline.
It is intended to serve as a gateway to the United Arab Emirates in general and Abu Dhabi in particular.
After completion, the worldwide hub will feature 154 check-in counters, 27,500 square metres of passenger lounges, and 12,150 square metres of food and beverages, the ADAC’s statement says.
Passengers in transit through the airport will be able to shop in high-end retail stores that cover as much as 15,860 square metres and stay in the transit hotel, which has almost 200 rooms.
Once the airport has become fully operational, it is likely to set a new benchmark for airports all over the world for the next two decades, according to ADAC officials at Abu Dhabi’s ACI Exchange 2019 conference.
The conference saw experts in the global aviation industry talking about the future of innovation in airports.
CEO Bryan Thompson says that ADAC is attempting to transform the often mechanical and impersonal experience of air travel into being human, wondrous and warm once more.
By doing so, travellers will get their first real experience of the UAE not just as a hub but also as a tourist destination, and all Emiratis will be able to be proud of the truly exceptional new airport building that serves as Abu Dhabi’s gift to all travellers.
Ahmed Juma Al Shamsi, the acting chief operations officer, says that the company has been drawing on its own heritage to enhance the very modern new facility.
Al Shamsi says that the experience being created is unique to the UAE – it is envisioned as an iconic structure for the country’s capital and a marvel of architecture.
The design of the airport is based upon the symmetry and natural beauty of the sand dunes that so define the dramatic desert landscape of Abu Dhabi, according to Al Shamsi.
International passenger numbers are expected to increase by 50% over the course of the next 20 years, and Abu Dhabi is perfectly situated to serve as a connection for the big population centres of Africa, China, Europe and India.
The airport will also play a major part in meeting the requirements for future growth and capacity, Al Shamsi adds.
The airport’s carbon footprint will also be reduced by the extensive employment of locally sourced and recycled materials, notes Sulaiman Al Siksek, the chief programs officer.
The design will result in a reduction of water use within the terminal by nearly 50% in comparison with buildings on a similar scale.
Anyone intending to travel to Abu Dhabi or anywhere else in the UAE should take out travel insurance.
Lost luggage and cancelled flights can happen in any airport in the world, and travel insurance reduces your financial loss in such instances.
