Abu Dhabi Airport to be renamed Zayed International Airport

The hub's new terminal will open on Wednesday

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  Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, visited the emirate's new airport terminal on Tuesday. All photos: Abu Dhabi Media Office

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  Terminal A will begin operations on Wednesday

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  It will double the current capacity of Abu Dhabi International Airport, which will be able to handle up to 45 million passengers a year

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  The new terminal will be able to handle at least 79 aircraft at once when it is fully operational

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  Sheikh Khaled was told how Terminal A will support growth in the aviation sector and boost tourism

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  The vast structure of glass and steel is three times the size of the old terminal

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  Terminal A will have nine main biometric touchpoints including self-service baggage drops, immigration e-gates and boarding gates

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  It will use facial recognition technology to screen passengers and minimise waiting times

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  An advanced baggage handling system will be able to process up to 19,200 bags an hour

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  Terminal A, formerly known as the Midfield Terminal, is the airport's most ambitious expansion yet

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  Airlines will move to the Terminal A building in three phases over a two-week period, from November 1 to November 14

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  From November 15, all flights will operate solely from the new terminal

Abu Dhabi International Airport is to be renamed as Zayed International Airport.

The new name will come into effect from February 9, 2024, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said on Tuesday.

President Sheikh Mohamed ordered the change, which comes before the airport's new Terminal A starts operations on Wednesday.

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, toured the new terminal on Tuesday.

He said the key project was a significant step forward for the emirate's economic and sustainable development, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said.

Sheikh Khaled underlined the importance of continued investment to further strengthen the tourism and aviation sectors.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad, Adviser for Special Affairs at the Presidential Court and chairman of the board of directors of Abu Dhabi Airports, said the mega project would act as a “major gateway” to boost the emirate's position on the global stage.

Three times the size of the old terminal, and with flights to 117 destinations globally, Terminal A will increase the frequency and reach of flights to and from Abu Dhabi, airport officials have said.

Once it opens, it will be able to handle up to 45 million passengers a year.

Airlines will be shifting their operations in phases before starting flights next month.

Airlines will move to the new Terminal A building in three stages over a two-week period from November 1 to November 14, after Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways operates a ceremonial flight on October 31, the emirate's airport operator said this month.

From November 1, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi and 15 other international airlines are scheduled to fly from the new terminal.

Etihad Airways will operate 16 flights from the terminal from November 9 while 28 other airlines will operate from the terminal from November 14.

Abu Dhabi's Terminal A - in pictures

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  A view of Abu Dhabi's new ‘Terminal A’ building. It is scheduled to begin operations in early November. Photo: Abu Dhabi Airports

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  Inside the terminal. Photo: Abu Dhabi Airports

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  The new terminal at Abu Dhabi International Airport will enable home airline Etihad Airways' next growth phase. Photo: Abu Dhabi Airports

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  The terminal has already featured prominently in the Tom Cruise blockbuster Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. Abu Dhabi Media office

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  A view of the terminal under construction. Photo: Abu Dhabi Airports

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  Nearing completion. Photo: Abu Dhabi Airports

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  In January, the Executive Council gave the go-ahead for a host of projects in Abu Dhabi, including Abu Dhabi International Airport's Midfield Terminal. Wam

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  Passenger traffic through Abu Dhabi International Airport jumped 67 per cent year-on-year in the first six months of 2023. Photo: Abu Dhabi Airports Company

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  The new Midfield Terminal under construction in 2015. Mona Al Marzooqi / The National

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  The new Midfield Terminal under construction in 2015. Photo: Abu Dhabi Airports

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  The new Midfield Terminal under construction in 2016. Christopher Pike / The National

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  Abu Dhabi's Midfield Terminal under construction. Photo: H.G. Esch

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  Visitors and journalists tour the construction site of the Midfield Terminal of Abu Dhabi International Airport. Reuters

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  The new terminal's opening comes amid a massive boom in air travel as the global aviation industry recovers from the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Wam