Abu Dhabi Airports announced the forthcoming opening of its state-of-the-art new terminal A at Abu Dhabi International Airport.
‘Terminal A’ is scheduled to begin operations in early November 2023, instead of December as previously estimated. It will strengthen Abu Dhabi’s growing reputation as a destination of choice for travelers, and a global hub for trade and business.
The new terminal, on which construction began in 2012, was originally scheduled for completion in 2017 and is estimated to have cost $3 billion.
Read: Abu Dhabi Airports to launch advanced biometric tech with touchless boarding
Covering 742,000 square meters of built-up area, Terminal A is among the largest airport terminals in the world. Once operational, the new terminal will accommodate up to 45 million passengers per year, be able to process 11,000 travelers per hour, and operate 79 aircraft at any given time.
Blending modern, lightweight aesthetics with functional brilliance, the building’s glass exterior maximizes natural light while creating a monumental civic space inside the terminal.
In line with the UAE’s sustainability aspirations and targets, the building features energy-efficient lighting, advanced Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems and has incorporated sustainable materials in its construction.
A fully integrated solar photovoltaic system has been installed on the roof of the Terminal A car park, which currently powers a three-megawatt (MW) plant that is saving nearly 5,300 tons of CO₂ annually.
Helped by the new airport terminal, Etihad Airways hopes to triple its number of passengers to 30 million and double its fleet to 150 planes by 2030, the carrier announced.
Passenger traffic through Abu Dhabi International Airport jumped 67 percent year-on-year in H1, 2023.
A total of 10.2 million passengers used the airport during that period, up from 6.2 million over the same period in 2022.
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