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Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) is benchmarking against international best practices as it progresses towards creating a world-class airport hub. Providing a rare insight into the design fundamentals of the large-scale AED25 billion (US$6.8 billion) redevelopment programme at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Mrs. Sheikha Al Maskari, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, said: “There are three key areas to consider in design and benchmarking when undertaking such a substantial airport redevelopment project. First, we considered our passengers and how we engineered their journey through the airport. Taking into account everything from walking times to way-finding and immigration, our airport design has ensured the optimal journey.
“The second consideration was the aircraft. We considered all the factors that affect aircraft using the airport, such as runway capacity, classifications and taxi times. Thirdly, we took into consideration airport support facilities such as catering and cargo automation.
“These three considerations are the foundation for any airport design project to ensure optimum functionality and usability is achieved.”
The new airport project, currently under way at Abu Dhabi International Airport, is designed to increase the overall capacity of the airport to more than 20 million passengers per year. A second new runway and a third terminal have already been completed as part of this project. A second, new Air Traffic Control (ATC) is underway and the Midfield Terminal Complex, also known as the new airport, will complete the redevelopment plan in few years time.
Highlighting the importance of linking the redevelopment of Abu Dhabi’s airport to Abu Dhabi’s “Plan 2030”, Mrs. Al Maskari concluded: “We know demand for facilities at Abu Dhabi International Airport will increase exponentially in tandem with the development and growth of Abu Dhabi as outlined in Plan 2030. Our ambitious redevelopment project at the airport will provide capacity whilst upholding the highest standards in airport design.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
