Abu Dhabi International Airport changes name to Zayed International Airport

The hub's new terminal officially opened on Friday

Terminal A at Zayed International Airport officially opened on Friday. Photo: Abu Dhabi Airports

Abu Dhabi International Airport has officially changed its name to Zayed International Airport.

The name change, which was announced last year and ordered by President Sheikh Mohamed, in honour of the UAE's Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, came into effect on Friday.

It coincides with the official opening of the airport's Terminal A, Abu Dhabi Media Office reported.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad, Adviser for Special Affairs at the Presidential Court, and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Airports Board of Directors, attended the naming ceremony at the airport on Friday.

"We are immensely proud to rename Abu Dhabi's largest airport in honour of the Founding Father of the UAE," Sheikh Mohammed said.

"The unsurpassed achievements of the late Sheikh Zayed in connecting our country to nations around the world have inspired our commitment to ensuring that Abu Dhabi further strengthens its position as a world-leading hub for travel, trade and commerce."

Activities will also be held at the airport throughout the weekend, including live performances by international artists, digital events, personalised travel giveaways and promotions.

The airport's new logo was also unveiled at the event, which features a traditional dhow boat, a date palm tree, the desert sun, Qasr Al Hosn Fort, and Terminal A.

Etihad Airways and Wizz Air announced flash sales from February 9 to 14 to mark the occasion, while the airport's shops and restaurants will offer special deals until Sunday, February 11.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre also marked the occasion by releasing images captured by KhalifaSat showing the progress of work at Terminal A in the Zayed International Airport.

Covering 742,000 square metres, it is one of the largest airport terminals in the world and will significantly increase the airport's passenger and cargo capacity.

The $3 billion building is set to double capacity and manage up to 45 million passengers a year.

It is capable of handling 79 aircraft at once and 11,000 passengers per hour.

The terminal has nine main biometric touchpoints including self-service kiosks, immigration e-gates and boarding gates, as well as streamlined security checkpoints.

It also uses facial recognition technology to screen passengers and minimise waiting times.

Watch: Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed tours Abu Dhabi Airport Terminal A ahead of opening