Abu Dhabi International Airport


Abu Dhabi International Airport is the sole international airport in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
The airport, located east of Abu Dhabi city, is the second largest in the UAE after Dubai International Airport, serving around 20 million passengers in 2014. It has three operational passenger terminals: Terminal 1, Terminal 2, Terminal 3. Abu Dhabi International Airport is spread over an area of. Its terminal spaces are dominated by Etihad Airways, the country's second flag carrier airline and the second largest airline in the UAE after Emirates. More than 30 airlines offer service to over 120 destinations in more than 60 countries.

History

Early years

The airport was first conceived in 1974, in response to the government's plans to modernize the then brand new nation. At the time, Al Bateen Airport was the main international airport serving the city. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan had realized that it was hard to access the airport, as it was located on Abu Dhabi Island and that the island at the time was connected to the mainland by only one bridge. Also, the city was expanding at the time, making it harder for the airport to expand.
During the late 1970s, a location for the building site was strategically located, so it could be easily accessible. Construction started by 1979 and the airport was inaugurated on January 2, 1982. The old airport's name was changed to Al Bateen airport and the new airport was given its previous name.
The new airport included a circular satellite terminal with a single connection to a semi-circular terminal. This design allowed more aircraft to park simultaneously. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, substantial work was carried out on the satellite terminal, to cater for the increase in passenger numbers, including widening the passenger waiting areas and creating extra parking spots. The main terminal also underwent some external changes, especially on the outer facade.

Development since the 2000s

With the withdrawal of support for regional airline Gulf Air after nearly five decades, Etihad became the new airline to be based at the airport. It received full support from the UAE government and has come a long way since its inaugural flight in 2003. Previous Gulf Air CEO James Hogan also transferred to Etihad, bringing aviation industry knowledge and experience.
Terminal 2 was built and opened in September 2005 to relieve the pressure on the main terminal. Terminal 2, however, does not have aerobridges and uses buses to move passengers between aircraft and the terminal building. A second runway was opened in October 2008 to cater to increased traffic. Terminal 3 was opened in January 2009. It is primarily used by Etihad Airways. The new Terminal 3, a AED 1 billion interim facility, was designed to allow for the airport's passenger growth before the planned opening of the new Midfield Terminal in December 2017. Used predominantly by Etihad Airways, the terminal boosted the airport's seven million passenger per year capacity to 12 million. It also added 10 new gates, two of which are Airbus A380 compatible.
During the early years of operation, there were no means of getting to the airport from the cities except for private vehicle or taxis. With the creation of Abu Dhabi's bus network in the late 2000s and 2010s, city-to-airport bus services were introduced.
In December 2011, the government of Abu Dhabi signed a letter of intent to build a United States border preclearance facility similar to pre-clearance customs facilities in Canada, Aruba, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and Ireland. Etihad operated its first flight to the U.S. from the facility January 25, 2014. In 2011, the airport was awarded 2nd Best Airport in Middle East of the Airport Service Quality Awards by Airports Council International The airport celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2012.
Rotana Jet was another airline based at the airport; however, it suspended all flights indefinitely in 2017.
On 26 July 2018, Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed to have launched a drone attack at the airport. The UAE denied there was any drone attack but stated earlier that there was an "incident" involving a truck which did not disrupt flights or cause any delays. Two other alleged claims on a drone attack on the airport were reported by the Houthis, as well as two attacks on Dubai International Airport, all which were denied and unverified. An investigation by Bellingcat concluded "it is highly likely that a Houthi-led drone attack did not take place in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Propaganda usage in the form of infographics, pictures and statements by Houthi leaders were pronounced following each claim, following a propaganda pattern." According to Reuters, the UAE has an advanced air defense system which utilizes Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, designed to destroy short and intermediary range missiles both inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere. In 2019, The Wall Street Journal reported that a Houthi drone had "exploded at Abu Dhabi International airport". Almost a year later in May 2019, the Houthi-run Almasirah TV channel broadcast alleged footage of the July 2018 attack.

Facilities

Terminals

Abu Dhabi International Airport consists of three passenger terminals named Terminals 1, 2 and 3:
A check-in facility was operated in downtown Abu Dhabi, for travelers who wanted to check in at the downtown city centre before they travelled to the airport. This facility, known as the City Terminal, resembled an airport terminal building with lounge and transport facilities. After having checked in at the City Terminal, travellers could arrive at the airport just one hour before the departure of their flight. This facility closed in October 2019.
A further check-in facility was operated by Etihad Airways at the Etihad Travel Mall on the outskirts of Dubai near Noor Bank metro station. This has since closed.

Runways

Abu Dhabi International Airport has two parallel runways, 13R/31L and 13L/31R. Both are.

Expansion

Midfield terminal

Development work has started on a new passenger terminal, the main building and centerpiece of the new airport, to be between the two runways and known as the Midfield Terminal. It was due to open on 7 July 2017, then pushed back to early 2019 in time for the 2019 Special Olympics, and was then again delayed until the last quarter of 2019. However, as of February 2020 no opening schedule has been announced. Staff training for the operation of the new facilities is due to start in spring 2020.
The Midfield Terminal will increase the airport's passenger capacity to more than 30 million per year, with options for this to double in capacity to 60 million. An additional facility is under consideration that would take the capacity to 80 million. The new facility will cover a floor area of over 735,000 square meters making it one of the largest airport terminal buildings in the world when it opens in 2020. The general exterior of the terminal was designed by international architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates.

Other facilities

The expansion master plan projects include a third parallel runway, from the existing runways, a new tower between the two runways with the new Air Traffic Control centre, enhanced cargo and maintenance facilities, and other commercial developments on the land immediately adjacent to and north of the airport. Having a total of of vast land area, the ambitious project will provide a home base for the UAE's national carrier, Etihad Airways, which will be a major user of new cargo facilities with an ultimate handling capacity of around two million tonnes of freight a year. Close to the new cargo facilities, land has been allocated for commercial activities, business parks, and property developments. Aircraft maintenance facilities will continue to be concentrated on the south side of the existing airport. The plan sets aside land for the growth of other operators such as Royal Jet and Abu Dhabi Aviation. Among other aspects of the project, when completed, are the design of remote aircraft stands complete with airfield ground lighting and hydrant fuel.

US border preclearance

Abu Dhabi International Airport has United States border preclearance facilities since 26 January 2014, the only airport in the Middle East to have such facility. Passengers on direct flights to the United States are processed for entry before they board their planes. This facility is similar to those in selected Canadian, Caribbean and Irish airports. This provision of this facility attracted some controversy as it was said to only benefit Etihad, as one of the sole two carriers which flew directly between the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights to and from Abu Dhabi:

Cargo

Ground transportation

Road

Abu Dhabi International Airport is connected to the Emirate and its surroundings, including Dubai and Al Ain, by a highway network. Route E20 directly passes the airport. Car rental, taxis and dedicated chauffeur services are available.

Public transport

The Department of Transport provides five bus routes from the airport throughout Abu Dhabi which run 24 hours a day, including line A1 which leads to the city center. Etihad Airways additionally provides a coach service from Abu Dhabi International Airport to Al Ain and Downtown Dubai. The airport's new midfield terminal will be connected to the Abu Dhabi Metro, but no construction has commenced for the metro, light rail or BRT.

Accidents and incidents