Plans to build a new international airport in Abu Dhabi took a step forward last month with the project being approved by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The Dh25 billion ($6.8 billion) airport will be located north of the runway of the existing Abu Dhabi International Airport. It includes a new 4.1 km runway, a large terminal building, a cargo and logistics centre, a commercial area incorporating a free zone and associated facilities.
The new airport will handle 50 million passengers every year after the completion of the two-phase development. The first phase, having a capacity to handle 20 million passengers per year, is planned for completion in 2010. It will also handle over 2 million tonnes of cargo and will fulfil Abu Dhabi’s passenger traffic and cargo transportation needs for the next 50 years and will be equipped to handle the new Airbus A380.
“This project is part of the comprehensive economic growth plan now under way in Abu Dhabi and will have a substantial impact on the emirate’s future, in particular tourism and aviation sectors,” said Sheikh Ahmad bin Saif Al Nahyan, chairman of Abu Dhabi Civil Aviation.
The development will be handled by the newly-formed Supervision Committee for Expansion of Abu Dhabi International Airport (Scadia).
The airport’s masterplan has been designed by the US-based Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM), which designed Burj Dubai that is designed to be the world’s tallest tower.
US-based Parsons International has been assigned the project management contract. The present airport, built in the 1970s, will be phased out once the new airport comes on stream.