Etihad finally finds a new home in Abu Dhabi’s Terminal A |

While the focus of the aviation community will be on the 18th Dubai Airshow next week at Al Maktoum International Airport, this coming Tuesday marks a milestone for another UAE airport. From November 15, all flights at Abu Dhabi International Airport will operate from the new Terminal A. The official opening will be on February 9, when the airport will be renamed Zayed International Airport in dedication to one of the founding fathers of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed. Only then, the multi-year construction program will be complete, having suffered numerous delays and cost overruns since it was launched in the early 2010s. The original opening of what was originally called the Midfield Terminal was scheduled for July 2017, but this slipped by two years to 2019. This deadline was also missed. And then the Covid-pandemic set in, which delayed everything by another two years amid contractual issues with the consortium that constructed the terminal. Early this year, Abu Dhabi International confirmed the official opening in December. Actually, the first passengers already arrived in Terminal A on November 1, when Etihad operated a special service to India. Flights have gradually moved from Terminals 1, 2, and 3 to the impressive new building that is located in the heart of the airport. In Phase I from November 1 to 9, 16 airlines moved to the new terminal. Etihad transferred flights between November 9 and 14, when it operated from Terminal A and 3. The carrier plans to operate exclusively out of Terminal A from 11 am on this Tuesday. When another 12 airlines transfer services on November 14, in total 28 airlines will operate from Terminal A only from November 15. Once fully up and running, the new terminal will have a capacity of 45 million passengers per year. It can handle 79 aircraft at the same time and 11.000 passengers per hour. The latest technologies have been included like biometric screening of passengers to accelerate throughput. With 163 retail units, passengers have plenty of shopping opportunities before they depart Abu Dhabi. The airport promises short walking distances of only 12 minutes from kerb to gate. Solar panels on the long-term car park, the use of recycled steel, and certified timber wood give the complex a Green certificate conforming to international standards. Showcase project for Abu Dhabi The Midfield Terminal project has always been conceived as a showcase project of Abu Dhabi’s and the UAE’s national carrier, Etihad Airways. Launched with great aspirations in 2003, the airline operated out of the original terminal building in sub-optimal conditions. Abu Dhabi lacked the appeal of Dubai International Airport, which itself has not the same grandeur as Hamad International in Doha, the home base of Qatar Airways. Etihad already operates most flights out of Terminal A since November 9. This coming week, its partner airlines Air Arabia Abu Dhabi as well as its ultra-low-cost competitor Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, which is partly owned by the Abu Dhabi government. This offers Etihad maximum feeding benefits into its long-haul network under a single roof. But the Etihad for which the Midfield Terminal was conceived is not the same Etihad it is now. Big aspirations to become a main rival to Dubai’s Emirates Airline, building on various strategic partnerships with airlines around the world, have changed since 2017. Failed investments and big losses in airberlin and Alitalia forced Etihad into a strategy review, which led to the departure of James Hogan and the arrival of Tony Douglas. He left last year to lead Saudi Arabia’s start-up Riyadh Air, with Antonoaldo Neves now at the helm of a leaner, versatile, and – at last – profitable Etihad. But don’t be mistaken: under Neves, Etihad still has big ambitions. In a media statement to celebrate 20 years of Etihad, he said: “Looking ahead, we have big plans. By 2030, we aim to double our fleet and welcome three times more guests, reaching 30 million people each year, welcoming so many more people to enjoy the excitement and the hospitality of our home, as well as connecting to our growing global network. And our dreams go beyond numbers. We want to make every journey something special and reach even more places around the world. Our rich past is the perfect starting point for these bold steps forward. Let's look to the future, driven by the passion that has been with us from the start.” Terminal A might be too big for Etihad’s current requirements, but in ten years’ time, things could look very different.

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