When was abu dhabi airport built

The airport was first conceived in , in response to the government's plans to modernize the then brand new nation. 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 s, a location for the building site was strategically located, so it could be easily accessible. Construction started by and the airport was inaugurated on January 2, 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 aerobridges with a single connection to a semi-circular terminal. During the late s and early s, 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. 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 Terminal 2 was built and opened in September to relieve the pressure on the main terminal.

Terminal 3 was opened in January It is primarily used by Etihad Airways. 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 A 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. The ultimate capacity will exceed 50 million travelers and 2 million tons of cargo per year. You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.

About Contact Submit Advertise. Change country. Log out. The airport was used by over 3. By , this had increased to 5. The number of airlines using the airport has also risen, as have the number of flights and range of international destinations.

The authorities responsible for the airport recognised this growth and put two plans into action to increase its capacity. The first phase of the expansion project AEDm included the construction of two new terminal buildings with a capacity of three million passengers a year.

These were completed within six months of being designed and opened in September built as a quick fix to the capacity problems at the airport. The terminals are designated Terminal 1A 8,m 2 with a capacity one million passengers a year and Terminal 2 12,m 2 with a capacity of two million passengers a year. The first phase also included nine aircraft hard standings. Phase II of the expansion, which began in late , includes the construction of a new super-sized midfield terminal building, along with a second parallel 4,m runway, a new aircraft control tower and new cargo facilities with a handling capacity of two million tonnes a year.

The phase I of the new cargo terminal opened in September The 6,m 2 facility handles perishable goods. Additional plans have also been made for a 12km circular rail transport system with 19 stops, linking the city of Abu Dhabi with the airport and also the free trade zones as part of the airport expansion.

The development is essentially a new airport. When the new facilities are complete the existing airport will be phased out. The new mega midfield terminal complex will be capable of handling million passengers a year initially and then later, as Abu Dhabi develops as a major Middle East transport hub, up to 50 million passengers a year this should provide major competition to Dubai International airport. The 6. The project will provide a top-quality home base for the United Arab Emirates national carrier Etihad Airways.

The new terminal 1A has been dedicated to Gulf Traveller, which flies to 45 destinations from Abu Dhabi, with its fleet of twin-engine, Boeing short to medium-range narrow-bodied aircraft. Terminal 1 was refurbished in November , with extra check-in and immigration counters, and has expanded retail and food and beverages sections.

The terminal has 54 check-in counters from nine , fast and efficient baggage processing systems, dedicated 34 immigration and passport control booths, two departure gates and a spacious departure lounge.

Other key aspects of the project included the design of remote aircraft stands complete with airfield ground lighting and hydrant fuel.