Author: aocauh

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Airport passes the 2m passenger mark for the first time in a single month

Abu Dhabi International Airport announced today that it had passed the 2 million passenger mark within a single month last night 31st July, signaling a new era in the airport’s journey.
To celebrate this new record, Abu Dhabi Airports identified its two millionth passenger, Mr. Saeed Ali Al Suraidi, who arrived on Friday 8:00 pm from Cairo on Etihad Airways. Mr. Al Suraidi, was warmly welcomed by Eng. Ahmad Al Haddabi, Chief Operations Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports.
The delighted passenger was presented with a commemorative gift from Abu Dhabi Airports and a voucher to enjoy the airport’s unique retail experience at Abu Dhabi Duty Free.
When asked about his thoughts, Mr. Al Suraidi said: “I am thrilled to be the first two millionth passenger in one month, for Abu Dhabi International Airport. The fast procedures at Abu Dhabi International Airport and the warm hospitality of its staff have definitely made my trip a delightful experience. Being a regular traveler from Abu Dhabi International Airport, I would like to thank Abu Dhabi Airports for their continued efforts to make my journey special every time.”
Commenting on the event, Eng. Mohamed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Chief Executive Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “This has been a remarkable month for Abu Dhabi International Airport. More and more travelers are choosing Abu Dhabi as a final destination or transit point and this is supported by the increased flight connectivity available at the Capital’s airport. We are investing considerable effort and resource in ensuring that the passenger experience at Abu Dhabi International Airport is always of the highest quality by increasing capacity and offering a broader range of services.” He added: “This milestone is a significant one for the airport and for the different teams that work hard to deliver seamless service to the millions of passengers who travel through our airports.”
01 Aug 2015 , Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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E-Visa is now available for GCC Residence Permit Holders Travelling to UAE

Effective 24 May 2015, a new online application and payment system for UAE visas has been introduced for expatriates residing in the GCC on residence visas.
As per the new service launched by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, All GCC residence permit holders are now able to apply for an e-visa to visit the UAE. Visitors will no longer need to wait for visa processing at the airport upon arrival.
For more information please go to ‘GCC Individual Services’ at https://www.ednrd.ae/GCCIND/login.do
26 Jul 2015 , Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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Passenger traffic surges 17.2% at Abu Dhabi International Airport during the first half of 2015

Abu Dhabi Airports reported today a 17.2% increase in passenger traffic at Abu Dhabi International Airport during the first half of 2015 (1st January to 30th June), as compared to the same period for last year.
During the H1 period, a total of 11,111,577 passengers passed through Abu Dhabi International Airport, compared with 9,481,744 in the equivalent period in 2014. The number of aircraft movements rose to 84,938, representing 15.0% growth compared with 73,862 aircraft movements reported in H1 2014. Cargo activity in the first six months of the year comprised 414,203 tons handled, representing a 9.6% increase when compared to the first half of 2014. The month of June alone saw 1,848,080 passengers, an increase of 10.8% as compared with June 2014 (1,667,551 passengers).
Commenting on the half year traffic report, Eng. Mohamed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Chief Executive Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “It is very encouraging to see a constant increase in passenger traffic numbers, despite the challenges it poses. This continuous growth further demonstrates the fact that travelers increasingly see Abu Dhabi both as a destination of choice and as a logical transit point on long journeys. This in turn is further evidence of the airport’s rapidly growing status as a vital global transportation hub. The Capacity Enhancement Program, which is helping us address the more immediate demands of the passenger growth, is on track as part of our commitment to deliver to our promise and present a unique travel experience, through implementing innovative solutions.”
Several new destinations were added during the six months including flights to Madrid, Pune, Edinburgh, Venice and Entebbe. Additionally, the frequency of flights between the existing routes increased significantly. Just last month, the airport announced 271 additional weekly flights for its summer program.
India retained its top spot as the airport’s largest market, and traffic to and from the capital to the subcontinent recorded a 57.8% rise during the six months as compared to last year.  Saudi Arabia, Germany, Pakistan and the UK were the next largest in terms of passenger volume to and from Abu Dhabi.
 30 Jul 2015 , Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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Steel Works at all 4 piers are 99% Complete at the Midfield Terminal Building

25 Jan 2015 , Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi Airports’ Board of Directors carried out a site visit to the Midfield Terminal Building (MTB) last week to review the progress made on the future gateway to the capital city.

The tour was led by H.E. Ali Majed Al Mansoori, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports, joined by members of the board, H.E. Mohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, H.E. Awaida Murshed Al Marar, and H.E. Abu Baker Siddiq Al Khouri, along with members from the company’s executive and project team.

H.E. Ali Majed Al Mansoori, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “The year 2015 is destined to be a defining year for Abu Dhabi Airports. Last year Abu Dhabi International Airport registered 20% increase in traffic, which translated into 20 million passengers passing through its terminals. In 2015 we will witness further growth with a record 24 million passengers forecasted to pass through Abu Dhabi International Airport. In parallel, the Midfield Terminal Building will register the achievement of several key milestones this year as the building structure takes its eventual form.”

Al Mansoori continued: “Our Board of Directors and I wanted to start this year by observing the remarkable progress being made in the delivery of this iconic building and, as always, I am proud of what we have witnessed. With 99% of steel works completed on all four piers, the building structure has become a visible landmark from the air and the ground, for both passengers flying in and out of Abu Dhabi as well as residents driving by. This achievement has allowed us to start the building enclosure around the piers, which will enable the building structure to take its final shape during the course of 2015” added Al Mansoori.

The MTB has four piers that accommodate 65 stands in total. The longest pier stretches over 500m with all four piers using a total of 13,300 tonnes of steel. The building enclosure includes the glass works for the curtain walling and roofing works, which will consume 175,000 sqm of glass for the curtain walling and 260,000 sqm of aluminium for the roof.

The MTB is one of the world’s largest passenger terminals that will house the latest technologies available worldwide, including a tote-based baggage handling system (BHS) that is capable of handling 19,000 bags per hour. Commenting on the progress in the BHS system, Al Mansoori said: “We are seeing today a fast advancement in the installation of the baggage handling system, which is considered the heart of any airport operation. The BHS is situated below the departure level in the central processing area of the MTB, and is progressing in parallel with the mechanical and electrical works for the entire building, which will be completed by Q4 2016.”

Alongside the MTB, works on the airfield and terminal taxiway are witnessing similar progress. “Today we start the ground works on the Automated People Mover (APM) Tunnel that will connect the MTB to the future terminal buildings at Abu Dhabi International Airport. This is a key strategic milestone for Abu Dhabi Airports as it paves the way for future growth of aviation within the Emirate and the region, beyond 2017” Al Mansoori added. “We are also in the midst of completing the piling works for the primary road, which will connect the MTB to the main Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway.”

“The MTB is the cornerstone of a broader plan to transform Abu Dhabi International Airport and accomplish our aim of becoming a global transportation hub. As it continues to take shape, with evidence of progress visible on a daily basis, the achievement of that objective draws ever closer. More and more people are choosing Abu Dhabi as their preferred location for business, holidays and transit and we are determined to ensure that their experience when they arrive and depart more than meets the standards the modern traveller has come to expect” Al Mansoori concluded.

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Airport marks highest passenger traffic increase in airport’s history

20 million passengers passed through the airport’s three terminals in 2014, up more than 20% from the previous year

25 Jan 2015 , Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi Airports today reported a year of solid growth in 2014, setting new annual records in passenger figures, aircraft and freight traffic.

During the year, the airport welcomed around 20 million inbound, outbound and transfer passengers, representing an annual growth of 20% – the highest ever in Abu Dhabi International Airport’s history. The airport handled 154,821 traffic movements, up 14.5% compared to last year. Cargo throughput rose 12.8% year on year, reaching 797,069 million tonnes.

Commenting on these numbers, H.E. Ali Majed Al Mansoori, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “Abu Dhabi Airports is playing a fundamental role in supporting the drive by the emirate of Abu Dhabi to grow its global position as a key player in various dynamic industries, including aviation, both through offering excellent services for passengers, and by increasing capacity to meet the continuing growth in demand. The continuing growth in passenger numbers translates this ambition as it strengthens Abu Dhabi’s position as a growing global transportation hub. Travelers are increasingly choosing to make Abu Dhabi their final destination or stopping point, whether for business or for pleasure, and we will maintain our commitment to improving their experience at Abu Dhabi International Airport, applying imagination and innovation to everything we do. This will be seen in all of our operations, not least in the Midfield Terminal Project, which is making excellent progress towards its opening in 2017.”

In 2014 two new airlines joined Abu Dhabi International Airport; the Greek Aegean Airline and Nikki Airways from Austria, and a further 12 new destinations were added during the year. The top five destinations from Abu Dhabi were India, Germany, United Kingdom, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Last month, the airport re-opened its newly renovated Southern Runway as part of its expansion plans in preparation for the iconic Midfield Terminal Complex (MTC) becoming operational in 2017. The Southern Runway is now fully functional alongside the parallel Northern Runway. Together, both runways will reach a total combined capacity in excess of 500,000 aircraft movements annually making Abu Dhabi International Airport one of the largest two-runway operations in the world.

Figures for the month of December 2014 show that the airport ended the year on a high note. Passenger traffic was up 21.7% with 1,833,868 million travelers compared to December 2013. Cargo tonnage was up 5.6% to 69,736 tonnes. The number of aircraft movements went up by 17% to 14,105 movements. December was the airport’s second busiest month of the year following August 2014 .

Al Mansoori added: “2014 was also a year of remarkable development as much as it was a year of growth as we focused on enhancing our facilities to keep in stride with the fast pace of growth and to offer a world class travelling experience to the passengers. I would like to take this opportunity and thank our partners and stakeholders, including the Departments of Ports and Airports Security, Immigration, Customs and our airlines, for taking part in our initiatives and supporting our ambition to deliver state-of-the-art services to all passengers.”

Last year saw the production of 20 new bus gates, 21 new code E aircraft stands for wide-bodied aircraft, and 16 new security x-ray machines to expand the current flight and aircraft handling capacity. An additional enhanced baggage transfer system has also been introduced for handling transfer luggage between connecting flights, which enable the airport to handle the increased volume of passenger luggage significantly more efficiently.

These infrastructure developments form part of the Capacity Enhancement Programme (CEP) for Abu Dhabi International Airport. The airport capacity will be boosted further by 30 million passengers when the Midfield Terminal is fully operational.

In November, a total of 1,537,952 passengers passed through Abu Dhabi Airport during the month, a 15.6% increase compared with November 2013. There were 13,501 aircraft movements, which was a 13.9% increase over November 2013’s figure of 11,856. Cargo activity comprised 75,726 tonnes handled at the airport’s three terminals in November 2014, a 13.8% increase when compared to November 2013.

In 2014, the airport won the prestigious title of the “Best Airport for the Middle East region” twice from the Airports Council International (ACI) and by The World Airport Awards of Skytrax, for the third consecutive year, reaffirming Abu Dhabi’s position as a world leading aviation hub. The ACI award came as a result of the Capital’s airport score in the 2013 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Survey results – a key benchmark for customer service in the global airports’ industry.

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