Tag Archives: Abu Dhabi International Airport

As a result of its continuous efforts to deliver a smooth and seamless passenger experience, Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) will close its City Terminal, effective from 06:00 am GST time on October 3, 2019. The closure of the terminal falls in line with Abu Dhabi International Airport’s commitment to providing passengers with a streamlined and comfortable experience that allows passengers departing from the airport easy access to their flights and onward destinations. All passengers travelling from AUH are encouraged to depart directly from the airport, where they will be able to enjoy the full comfort and amenities offered to them by Abu Dhabi Airports’ staff, or to visit the conveniently located Abu Dhabi International Airport Expo Check-In, located at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC), open seven days a week from 09:00 to 20:00 local time.

Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) has welcomed over 4.5 million passengers during the summer months, demonstrating the airport’s popularity with travellers heading to and leaving Abu Dhabi, as the airport seeks to offer a wide range of attractive routes, smooth operational efficiency and high customer satisfaction. During the summer period, the top five destinations that saw the highest share of traffic through Abu Dhabi International Airport were London, Delhi, Bombay, Cairo and Cochin, which together processed 900,104 passengers between these cities and Abu Dhabi International Airport. During Eid Al Adha period, falling between July 7-17, Abu Dhabi International Airport processed 713,297 passengers arriving, departing and transiting. Commenting on the summer traffic figures, Bryan Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “We are delighted to see the growth in the number of passengers travelling through Abu Dhabi International Airport. Many residents in the UAE seek to travel over the summer period to see their family and friends and explore new destinations. We have been delighted to welcome tourists arriving from countries across the world to experience Abu Dhabi and all that the city has to offer.”

Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) welcomed three weekly flights between Abu Dhabi and Salalah, the popular holiday destination on the south coast of Oman. The inaugural flight operated by the Omani airline, Salam Air, commenced on July 2 and will continue running until September 7, 2019 allowing travellers from the UAE to visit Salalah conveniently and at affordable rates. Speaking of the seasonal arrangement, Chief Commercial Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports, Maarten De Groof, commented, “Salalah is an ever popular destination for those in the UAE seeking a cooler and nature-driven destination during the summer months. With Salam Air, travellers looking to visit the Omani destination will be able to take advantage of three weekly cost-effective flights. We also look forward to welcoming travellers from the south of Oman to the city of Abu Dhabi, and sharing with them the wide range of cultural, entertainment and retail destinations the city has to offer.” Captain Mohamed Ahmed, CEO of Salam Air said, “Salalah is proving to be an extremely popular destination, with GCC residents in particular keen to escape the summer heat. Our new Abu Dhabi to Salalah flight operating three times a week will be a boon to UAE residents looking for the perfect staycation this summer, especially as Khareef season is now upon us.” Outbound flights will depart on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, the flights will depart Abu Dhabi International Airport at 21:35 Local Time (LT), landing in Salalah International Airport (SLL) at 23:25 LT. Return flights will depart on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, leaving Salalah International Airport at 19:00 LT and landing in Abu Dhabi International Airport at 20:50 LT.

Airlines that are adding tracking at more points of the baggage journey are enjoying a huge improvement in bag delivery globally. The SITA 2019 Baggage IT Insights – officially launched at an event in Abu Dhabi International Airport – shows that where tracking is done at check-in and loading onto the aircraft, the rate of improvement is as high as 66%. These results come as the record drop in the baggage mishandling rate achieved globally over the past decade plateaus, with the rate steady at around 5.7 bags per thousand passengers over the past three years. In 2018, the rate was 5.69 per thousand passengers. Over the past year, an increasing number of airlines and airports have started to introduce tracking at key points in the journey – check-in, loading onto the aircraft, transfers and arrival – to improve baggage management and further reduce the chances of a bag being mishandled. SITA’s research provides the first glimpse of the success of this tracking. It reveals that where bags were being tracked when loaded onto the aircraft, the rate of improvement ranged between 38% and 66% depending on the level of tracking introduced. Peter Drummond, Director of Baggage at SITA, said, “While the mishandling rate has started to plateau over the past few years, this comes against a continued growth in passenger numbers and their bags. In 2018, 4.36 billion travellers checked in more than 4.27 billion bags. More bags makes things more challenging. Everyone across the industry needs to look beyond the process and technology improvements made in the past decade and adopt the latest technology such as tracking to make the next big cut in the rate of mishandled …

Abu Dhabi Airports, with the support of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), has opened a series of new ‘AUH Libraries’ at Abu Dhabi International Airport, following the UAE’s Month of Reading in March 2019. Located across Terminals 1 and 3, passengers are welcome to visit the Main Library near gates 14-18 in the T1-Transit area, as well as three ‘mini libraries’ along the airside corridor between T1 and T3 and an additional three mini libraries at the departure pier in T3 (Gates 33-35). The Main Library accommodates up to ten people at a time, while the smaller units can host six people. During 2016’s Year of Reading, Abu Dhabi Airports had launched its inaugural airport library, which was the first amongst the region’s airports, and has since then continued to promote a culture of reading throughout its facilities. The new libraries that are launched today are a step further towards enhancing customer experience at the Capital’s airport. With around 200 books provided by DCT Abu Dhabi, passengers from across the globe can now enjoy an array of novels, as well as a selection of books related to the Founding Father of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Speaking about the opening of the libraries, Bryan Thompson, Chief Executive Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “We are delighted to welcome travellers to take a minute to dive into a novel or learn about the UAE’s rich heritage at our new libraries across Abu Dhabi International Airport. Much like travel, reading opens our minds to new experiences and places and Abu Dhabi Airports is committed to fostering a culture of reading …

Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) welcomed Himalaya Airlines’ inaugural flight from Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM), an international airport in Kathmandu, Nepal on March 31, 2019. Maarten De Groof, Chief Commercial Officer, Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “We are delighted to add Himalaya Airlines to our growing list of carriers operating at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Nepal has always been a sought-after destination for UAE residents, and the UAE is also home to many Nepali expatriates. We look forward to ensuring passengers departing for or arriving from Nepal enjoy a seamless travel experience. We are eager to introduce new flights and routes to and from Abu Dhabi International Airport, in line with our efforts to expand Abu Dhabi’s connectivity and support commerce and tourism within the UAE.” Himalaya Airlines will operate the route using its Airbus 320 aircraft, which includes eight Premium Economy seats and 150 Economy Class seats in its current configuration. On Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, flights are scheduled to depart from Kathmandu at 20:45 and arrive at Abu Dhabi at 23:45. Returning flights to Kathmandu are scheduled to depart from Abu Dhabi on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 01:45 and arrive at Kathmandu at 08:00. “Commercial and cultural links between the UAE and Nepal are flourishing and Himalaya is honoured to play a pivotal role in facilitating and enhancing the growth of trade and tourism between the two countries. We hope this new connectivity will further boost traffic from the UAE. Himalaya Airlines is on the verge of completing its third year of successful commercial operations soon and we are pleased to add Abu Dhabi into our network,” said Vijay Shrestha, Vice President – Administration, Himalaya Airlines.

Turkish Airlines has announced the launch of direct flights between Sharjah and Istanbul. With existing services from Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport, Turkish Airlines’ new Sharjah route marks its fourth destination into the UAE. Flights from Sharjah International Airport will be operated seven times a week in both directions with the inaugural flight departing on April 5, 2019. Customers can book a ticket from Sharjah to Istanbul for a price as low as 999 AED for Economy and 5,999 AED for Business Class, flights from Sharjah to Europe for prices starting from 1,500 AED, or to the Americas for prices starting from 2,600 AED if the booking is made before March 31, for trips until July 3. All passengers booking a flight from Sharjah International Airport in February with departure in April will earn 1,000 miles for each ticket. The new route bolsters Turkish Airlines’ status as the airline that flies to the most destinations in the world, strengthening its identity as a leading global airline with one of the youngest and most modern fleets in the world. “Our aim with this new route is to meet the rising demand for greater international travel options into and out of Sharjah,” commented Ahmet Olmuştur, Chief Marketing Officer, Turkish Airlines. “The UAE is known for being a travel-hungry part of the world, and now, more customers can capitalise on Turkish Airlines’ unparalleled network of destinations as we continue to explore even more new routes..”

Air India Express has launched its inaugural flight from Kannur International Airport in Kerala, India, to Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH). With this, it commences three weekly flights connecting the two airports. The three weekly non-stop flights from Kannur will arrive at AUH at 11:30am and depart at 12:30pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Speaking after the inauguration, Maarten De Groof, Chief Commercial Officer, Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “We are excited to be Air India Express’ first choice for their inaugural route. India has been one of our top generators of traffic, and we are always eager to expand the airport’s connectivity to this region in response to our passengers’ needs.” The carrier provides convenient connectivity to short/medium-haul international routes in the Gulf and South East Asia at affordable fares. PA Umadevi, Airport Manager, Air India Express, said, “We are excited to bring our inaugural flight to the UAE’s capital Abu Dhabi. This new destination will attract the traffic not only from the northern side of Kerala, but also from the neighbouring states of Karnataka as the airport is located at the northern part of the state and has easy access to Mysore and other states of Karnataka. Abu Dhabi Airports has provided us all support, as always, to ensure our customers’ satisfaction and meet the rising demand in the Abu Dhabi market.”

Global Investment in Aviation Summit 2019 is all set to take place from January 27-29, 2018 at the Intercontinental Dubai Festival City with brainstorming on challenges and investment in aviation being the core objectives. The required modernisation of aviation infrastructure expansion, development, and modernisation to cater to anticipated increase in passenger and freight air traffic demand will reach USD 1.8 trillion by 2030. GIAS 2019 is an initiative of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), which was established to create a leading, safe, secure and sustainable civil aviation system in the country. According to a report published by the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), global aviation will have to cater to over 14 trillion passenger traffic and 466 billion tonnes of freight traffic by 2034. This projection will show an increase of 14.5 per cent RPK and 4.2 per cent FTK, per annum respectively. The projected growth in global aviation industry will generate at least 99 million jobs and will contribute USD 5.9 trillion in GDP, a 122 per cent increase from 2014, according to the same IATA report. The UAE is investing substantially in upgrading the aviation infrastructure. HE Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General, UAE General Civil Aviation Authority, said, “Aviation has been an important part of the UAE’s economic growth. One of the nation’s vigorous strength is its rapidly-expanding infrastructure, with spending of USD23.16 billion, including USD8 billion for expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport, USD7.6 billion for Phase IV development of Dubai International Airport, and USD 6.8 billion for expansion of Abu Dhabi International Airport. Collectively, the UAE increases its fleet per month by approximately 4-5 per cent and the total number of aircraft will …

Abu Dhabi Airports takes part at the Bahrain International Air Show being held from November 14 to 16 at the Sakhir Airbase so as to exhibit alongside partners at the UAE national pavilion. Commenting on Abu Dhabi Airports’ participation at the Middle East’s fastest growing airshow, Bryan Thompson, CEO, Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “Abu Dhabi now serves as a remarkable global example in providing air transport services that meet the highest international standards. Participation in the Bahrain International Air Show comes as part of our commitment to enhancing and bolstering our leading status in the air transport sector. “Our participation alongside key partners allows us to raise awareness about the astonishing developments being realised throughout Abu Dhabi in the aviation sector and related areas. Our participation here over the course of three days serves to highlight the pivotal role that the air transport and aerospace sector play in contributing to the national economy, which has been achievable. Thanks to joint cooperation and support across local authorities.” In 2017, Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) was named ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ by the Airport Service Quality Awards for the second consecutive year. AUH has also prioritised sustainability, and last year became the first airport in the region to sign the Airports Sustainability Declaration.