UAE: Abu Dhabi Airport to be renamed Zayed International Airport
New official name to take effect in February 2024
UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued directives to rename Abu Dhabi International Airport on Tuesday, a day ahead of Terminal A's opening on November 1.
The new official name, Zayed International Airport, will take effect on February 9, 2024, coinciding with the official opening ceremony of the new Terminal A, announced the Abu Dhabi Media Office. Earlier today, (Tuesday) Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan toured the 742,000sqm terminal. He was briefed on its facilities, which will drive tourism and aviation growth in the emirate.
The new Abu Dhabi International Airport Terminal A, formerly known as Midfield Terminal during the construction phase, will accommodate up to 45 million passengers per year and have flights to 117 destinations worldwide.
Terminal A will begin operations on November 1, bringing a significant increase to passenger capacity in Abu Dhabi and strengthening the emirate’s standing as a global aviation hub. Etihad Airways’ ceremonial flight will take place on October 31 before opening to the public on Wednesday. The new Terminal will enhance travel experiences through state-of-the-art facilities for passengers and airlines in the region.
Airlines will transition into Terminal A in three phases over two weeks. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi and 15 other international airlines will start flying from the new Terminal on November 1. From November 9, Etihad Airways will operate 16 daily flights before going fully operational from its new home on November 14, together with Air Arabia Abu Dhabi and ten other airlines. From November 14, 28 airlines will be fully operational from Terminal A.
When fully operational, Terminal A will have 35,000m2 of retail space with 163 shops and food and beverage outlets, offering passengers various shopping and dining opportunities. These include Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Ferragamo, and the first Muji airport store.
Etihad Airways operates first commercial flight from Terminal A
UAE’s national airline, Etihad Airways, operated the first commercial flight from Abu Dhabi International’s Terminal A on Tuesday. Etihad flight EY224, from Abu Dhabi to New Delhi, departed Terminal A today at 2.35 pm. The flight used one of the airline’s Airbus A350-1000, with 359 guests onboard, the airline announced.
Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said, “This is an exciting moment in Etihad’s history. As we begin celebrating our 20th anniversary in November, we are ready for the next growth chapter in our new home.”
“As we begin our transition to Terminal A, we look forward to welcoming even more passengers as we continue to grow and expand our fleet and network,” said Neves. The airline said it will transition flights to Terminal A in a phased approach from November 9. Between November 9 and 14, Etihad will operate from Terminal A and Terminal 3.