Siddharth Ganesh travelled to the newly renamed Zayed International Airport in the United Arab avesSiddharth Emirates to meet CEO Elena Sorlini

Abu Dhabi Airports’ chief executive officer, Elena Sorlini

ABU DHABI AIRPORTS

One of the pier roundels, with Airbus A321-231, A6AEE (c/n 6534), being readied for departure

GETTY IMAGES/NICOLAS ECONOMOU/NURPHOTO

The £2.4bn Terminal A welcomed its first passengers in the autumn of 2023

KEY COLLECTION

Towards the end of 2023, Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), raised the airport bar with the opening of its new £2.4bn Terminal A. It made another change on February 9, renaming Abu Dhabi International Airport as Zayed International, after the founding father of the UAE, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Prior to its opening, transiting through Abu Dhabi compared unfavourably with other Gulf airports. As the home hub for Etihad Airways and its frequent flyers, this was something that mattered, given the layover between two long-haul flights can affect the overall passenger experience.

With a central pinnacle point and faster journeys from check-in or gate to gate, the experience in Terminal A is truly remarkable. An aggregation of tiny features and conveniences add up to an overall feeling of awe. The atmosphere and roominess extends to the fabulous multi-level lounge experience, particularly for Etihad’s own premium customers.

Construction began in 2012 for what was then called ‘midfield terminal’, to be built between the original runway (31L/13R) and the newer northern runway (31R/13L). Originally due to open in 2017, 2019 and then 2021, it finally processed its first passengers on October 31, 2023. The facility is nominally X-shaped in plan view, though curved, offset or asymmetrical might be a more accurate description. Shape aside, it’s well designed for transit and passenger flow, with each of the four piers having a theme based on the direction faced. The westerly pier faces the city of Abu Dhabi, the northerly towards the sea, the easterly towards the oasis of Al Ain and the southerly towards the desert. Terminal A’s most fascinating feature is its one-roof concept; supported by 18 long-spanning, leaning arches, covering a built up area of 7,986,800sq ft. The annual capacity of 45 million passengers per year is a near threefold jump from the previous Terminals 1, 2 and 3. As a result, the airport can process up to 11,000 travellers per hour and accommodate 79 aircraft at any given time. It’s hard to miss the iconic curved air traffic control tower between the runways, which celebrates the nation’s maritime heritage, somewhat resembling a traditional dhow.