Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi International is likely to reach capacity by the end of 2016, seven months before a new 40 million annual passenger capacity terminal opens, the Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports, Ali Majed Al Mansouri, said on Sunday.
The airport, home to Etihad Airways, expects to handle 27 million passengers in 2016, which Al Mansouri said, will put a strain on the infrastructure.
Pressure is expected to be alleviated once the 40 million passenger capacity Midfield Terminal Building (MTB), being built at a cost of Dh10.8 billion, opens in July 2017, he added.
The Abu Dhabi government, owner of Abu Dhabi Airports, is spending Dh37 billion to Dh40 billion over ten years (2009-2019) on new infrastructure, including the MTB, to support the growth of its base carrier, Etihad Airways, and drive tourism into the emirate’s economy.
On Sunday, Al Mansouri spoke to reporters at the opening of a new 11,000 square metre passenger arrivals and transfer area at the airport. The new area, which can process 2,000 transfer passengers an hour, has been built as part of a Dh1.5 billion Capacity Enhancement Programme (CEP).
Al Mansouri said the airport will have to “work” with Etihad Airways and other airlines to accommodate growth in 2016 and in the first half of 2017. He did not elaborate but declined suggestions that Al Ain International Airport, in the emirate’s east along the Omani border, could be used as an interim alternative.
Last week, Al Mansouri told Gulf News that Abu Dhabi Airports was studying how to increase the number of scheduled flights from Al Ain.
Passengers at Abu Dhabi International have been increasing by around 20 per cent each year. In 2014, the airport handled 20 million passengers, while Etihad Airways, which operates more than 250 daily flights from the airport, carried 14.8 million passengers.
“We are very optimistic about passenger growth,” Al Mansouri said. He also said that more than 23 million passengers are expected to arrive, depart and transfer this year.
