Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) today announced that it has selected the French Aeroport de Paris, Ingenierie (ADPi) to undertake the design and supervision services for the new Air Traffic Control Complex (ATCC) at Abu Dhabi International Airport.
ATCC is to be positioned midway between the two runways and will be designed to include a five-storey technical and support building integrated with a 110-meter-high visual control tower. It will be equipped with state-of-the-art navigational and meteorological equipment to ensure the safe and timely arrival of aircraft at the new Midfield Terminal Complex. Pre-design activities will begin immediately to meet the set milestones. When it goes operational by April 2008, the tower will enable the Airport to handle up to 70 takeoffs and landings per hour.
“We are looking forward to an internationally recognized, contemporary design providing an architectural landmark to Abu Dhabi International Airport. The new ATCC is to embody the history and unique regional characteristics of the Emirate,” said ADAC Chairman and Managing Director, Khalifa Mohammed Al Mazrouei.
“The building should provide an architectural landmark that offers a safe and operationally functional environment for air traffic control and engineering services.”
The ATCC project, whose overall budgeted cost is estimated at Dh402 million, is part of a Dh30 billion redevelopment program designed to transform the capital’s airport into an ultramodern gateway.
“We are firmly on course to our ultimate objective,” confirms Al Mazrouei. A significant portion of the interim phase has already been completed and major infrastructural projects are quickly gathering momentum.
“Work has already begun on a second runway. Construction of an interim terminal for the exclusive use of the national airliner, Etihad Airways, is due to begin shortly. And a designer for the mega Midfield Terminal complex will be confirmed soon,” he said.
On May 17th, the Company inked an AED one billion contract with Odebrecht- Al Jaber, a UAE-Brazilian joint venture to construct a 4,100 meter runway, spaced at a distance of 2,000 meters from the existing runway. Work on the category III, all-weather runway is to be completed by November 2007.
And in early June, ADAC selected Kohn Pederson Fox Associates (KPF) as the top finalist firm in the race for the job of master architect of the Midfield Terminal Complex. The London-based firm has assembled a team of leading airport consultants, including the internationally-renowned Netherland Airport Consultants B.V. “NACO”, and ARUP, to design the gateway terminal for the capital city, in the midfield between the existing runway and a second one to be built two kilometers to the north.
The 220,000-square meter-Terminal is projected to handle 20 million passengers per annum when it comes on stream by 2010. That would mark the end of phase one of the redevelopment program. The facility’s flexible and modular design will allow gradual expansion to an ultimate level of over 40 million passengers per annum.
The Airport’s capacity has almost doubled to 6.8 million passengers since August 2005, following renovation and expansion of the main terminal and creation of a second one, just 900 meters away.
The second runway and the Midfield Terminal will significantly boost the Airport’s capacity to cope with spiraling traffic, fuelled by major development projects and a rapid expansion of the Airport’s home airline, Etihad Airways. Expanding at a record rate of one destination per month, the national Airline of the UAE is planning to expand globally to 70 destinations by 2010.
Utilities and cargo facilities are set for a major upgrade. The Airport’s cargo handling capacity will double to 300,000 by early next year. Construction of the central utilities complex and network will begin in September 2007 and should be over by October 2009. The master plan envisions a marked growth of cargo handling capacity to well over two million tons. This would entail a major upgrade of the infrastructure to ensure an efficient operation that can keep pace with future requirements. The growth will cater to the expected spur as a result of a construction boom that is gaining momentum in the Emirate.
Most of these projects recently came to the limelight in Dubai with ADAC’s participation in the Airport Build and Supply Show held from June 5 - 7 at Airport Expo Dubai. The high-profile event brought together the world leaders in airport construction and development industry.
Visitors to ADAC stand had a chance to catch a glimpse of the Company’s expansion program.
“We were very pleased to showcase at that important forum, which attracted the world leaders in airport construction and development industry. The Show offered us an invaluable opportunity to network with the industry’s best providers,” said Al Mazrouei.
In his presentation at the show, Al Mazrouei said ADAC looked forward to forging durable partnerships with the private sector. “We are heading fast to a crucial stage in our long-term plan to deliver value to our customers, both passengers and airlines alike, by transforming Abu Dhabi and Al Ain’s airports into best-in-class facilities. This program is a key part of a long-term strategy
To meet the challenges of Abu Dhabi’s exciting growth and determination to become one of the world’s leading aviation, tourism, and business centers,” Al Mazrouei said.
