Abu Dhabi Midfield Terminal Building nearing completion

Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) said the work was in full swing on its Midfield Terminal Building (MTB) with nearly 97 per cent of the project already completed.

The MTB encompasses a massive 742,000 sq m floor area. By offering some of the best facilities in the world with a strong retail offering, ADAC is ensuring the airport is an attractive destination for all airlines and serves as a gateway to Abu Dhabi and the UAE.

Once completed, the global hub will include 154 check-in counters, 12,150 sq m of food and beverages (F&B) outlets, and 27,500 sq m of passenger lounges, said the statement from ADAC.

Passengers transiting through Abu Dhabi can also pass the time shopping in high-end retail outlets covering 15,860 sq m, or rest in the nearly 200-room transit hotel, it added.

Once operational, it will set the benchmark for all airports over the next 20 years, said ADAC officials on the sidelines of the ACI Exchange 2019 conference in Abu Dhabi which saw global aviation industry expertss discuss the future of airport innovation.  

"ADAC is taking on the challenge of making the impersonal, sometimes mechanical experience of travel, feel warm, human and wondrous again," remarked CEO Bryan Thompson.

"In so doing, we give travellers their first real taste of our home, not merely as a hub, but as a destination. The new terminal will be a point of pride for all Emiratis and a truly exceptional building that represents Abu Dhabi’s welcoming gift to travellers arriving into the emirate," he stated.

Acting Chief Operations Officer Ahmed Juma Al Shamsi said ADAC was drawing on its heritage in the ultra-modern facility.

"We are creating an experience which is uniquely Emirati. It is envisioned as an architectural marvel and a truly iconic structure for the UAE capital. The design of MTB is based on the beauty and symmetry of the sand dunes that define the dramatic Abu Dhabi desert landscape," stated Al Shamsi.

With international passenger numbers projected to double in the next 20 years, Abu Dhabi is ideally located to connect the major population centres of Europe, Africa, India and China – and in the case of the last three, meet the needs of their growing, aspirational middle classes.

The MTB will play a key role in meeting future growth and capacity needs, he added.

Chief Programs Officer Sulaiman Al Siksek pointed out that the extensive use of recycled and locally-sourced materials would help reduce the carbon footprint of the MTB.

"Its design will cut water use in the terminal by almost half compared with similar scale buildings. The Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport has already awarded the MTB a “Three-Pearl” Design Rating from the Estidama Building Rating System," he said.

It is the largest single building to be rated by Estidama globally and is the highest-rated terminal in the GCC, said the senior official.

Al Siksek said the MTB project was also the embodiment of smart travel perfected.

"The facility was being built with a positive passenger experience at its core. A stress-free process is being created at every step in the customer journey, with robust biometric, mobile, and automation technologies helping us to cooperate with security authorities for a truly seamless journey," he added.-TradeArabia News Service