Abu Dhabi’s terminal A gears up for 637 flights in first week

The new terminal at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) will have 637 flights departing and arriving in its first seven days of operations.

As many as 28 airlines have started transitioning to terminal A, which opens today, but will be fully operational from November 15, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said in a statement. 

The new official name, Zayed International Airport, will take effect from February 9, 2024, as part of the official opening ceremony of terminal A.

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The new terminal will more than double the number of passengers with the facilities able to process up to 45 million travellers annually. It will be capable of handling 79 planes at once and 11,000 passengers per hour.

The increase in capacity will allow airlines to boost their presence in Abu Dhabi, driven by growing passenger demand.

The terminal will have biometric technology to streamline the screening and boarding process, 35,000 square metres of retail and F&B space with 163 outlets.

Etihad Airways, the UAE’s national airline, operated the first commercial flight from the new terminal to New Delhi.

Flights from other terminals at Abu Dhabi International Airport will gradually transition to the new terminal throughout November.  

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, said that the terminal’s increased capacity will be a key driver of tourism growth that will advance the aviation sector and consolidate Abu Dhabi’s position as a global tourism destination. 

In September, more than 8,000 volunteers took part in Abu Dhabi Airport’s largest trial exercise to assess the speed and accuracy of its passenger facilities. 

All systems were tested, including check-in, baggage claim, security screening, boarding gates, immigration and customs inspections, as well as passport procedures, to ensure readiness for the terminal’s operational launch.