Airport expansion project on track

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi Airports Company (Adac) announced Sunday that the consortium of CCC, TAV and Arabtec has been selected as the preferred bidder for the construction of Abu Dhabi's Midfield Terminal Building (MTB).

In a statement released yesterday, Adac said that it is currently in discussions with the preferred bidder to finalise all details of the estimated Dh11 billion contract prior to its signing, which it said would officially be announced in June.

The company released the tender to six pre-qualified groups of joint companies, and in November 2011 received all six proposals. In January, the Abu Dhabi Government approved the expansion plans of Abu Dhabi International Airport.

The 700,000-square-meter terminal building is one of the key strategic infrastructure projects to be undertaken in Abu Dhabi, and is expected to handle 30 million passengers per year.

The passenger facilities at the new Midfield Terminal Building will include 18,000 square metres of duty free retail shopping and almost 10,000 square meters of international restaurants and cafes. Passenger facilities will also include over 27,500 square metres of 23 hospitality lounges, a transit hotel, and a heritage and culture museum.

The total built-up area will be 450,000 square meters in the central passenger areas, with a further 250,000 square meters in the aircraft piers. The piers will accommodate up to 65 aircraft, including the largest Airbus A-380 and Boeing 747-800.

The whole building will be constructed using almost 70,000 tonnes of steel, more than 1.6 million tonnes of concrete, and nearly 500,000 square meters of steel and glass cladding.

"Abu Dhabi Airports Company is looking forward to the construction of the Midfield Terminal Building. By announcing the preferred bidder today, the company is on-track to deliver an efficient and sustainable aviation infrastructure, capable of catering to the growing air transport needs of the Emirate," said Khalifa Al Mazroui, Chairman of Adac.

"Abu Dhabi is experiencing remarkable development in the air transport sector and business and tourism industries that has positioned it as a hub for international commerce and travel. Adac was established in 2006 to support this position and to spearhead the redevelopment of the Emirate's aviation infrastructure.