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Abu Dhabi Airports awarded a contract for the development and management of a lounge in its planned Dh19.1 billion Midfield Terminal.
A joint venture between Kuwait's National Aviation Services (NAS) and Airport Dimensions, a global lounge operator, was awarded the project, which will be spread over 3,500 square metres. The new lounge would offer access to travellers independent of their chosen airline or class of their ticket, the company said.
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Midfield Terminal is designed to process 8,500 people an hour, tens of millions of passengers a year and a baggage-handling system that can process about half a million bags a day. It will also increase the capacity of the airport to more than 45 million passengers a year. It serves about 20 million a year currently.
"NAS operations within the Middle East mean that its regional knowledge will be invaluable in bringing this project to completion, while Airport Dimensions' extensive expertise in airport lounge design and management will help to create a lounge that leaves passengers refreshed," said Abu Dhabi Airports chief executive, Bryan Thompson.
Airport Dimensions manages lounges in some of the world's busiest airports including London Heathrow and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Its joint venture partner NAS is an operator of 40 lounges across the Middle East, Asia and Africa, including the Abu Dhabi International Airport's meet and assist services at the VIP terminal.
The Midfield Terminal is designed with sweeping curves in an X-shape and spans 742,000 square metres. Larger plans for the airport include more hotels, shops and an aviation district in Al Falah.
In June, Abu Dhabi Airports conducted a full-scale operational test of the terminal to assess the building's readiness.