Abu Dhabi International Airport boosts services for the summer season

Abu Dhabi (WAM): Abu Dhabi International Airport has geared up for a huge spike in passenger numbers during the summer season through providing a series of facility developments and service upgrades. The Abu Dhabi Airports company has said that a range of recently completed ground improvements and new services at the capital's main air gateway are expected to offer a smooth and enjoyable passage through main passenger terminals at the airport. The number of travellers to the city are set to soar to record levels, and as a result, the airport will provide service developments which include, 20 new boarding bus gates (now fully open) to passengers and flights in Terminal 3, increasing the airport's flight capacity by 44%, with a total of 66 boarding gates, install six new code E aircraft stands for wide-bodied aircrafts, which will increase the airport’s aircraft handling capability by 10%, with a total of 63 stands. The airport also announced that Terminal 3 - the building dedicated to home air carrier Etihad Airways flights - has been fitted with16 new x-ray machines to speed up the security process for transfer passengers. An enhanced and expanded baggage transfer system has also been introduced for handling transfer luggage between connecting flights, which will be able to handle more luggage, faster and more efficiently through increasing the handling capacity by 40%. Companies and agencies working at the airport have also increased their manpower in ground services, check-in services, passport control and Police, in preparation for the summer season. Ali Majed Al Mansoori, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports, said, "As we look ahead to welcome a record number of passengers using Abu Dhabi International Airport as their connecting hub or destination airport, the number of flights we will handle during the peak travel months will leap by 18 per cent to nearly 170 every single day of the week compared to last summer. We've made great improvements all around the airport to ensure that all passengers, whether arriving, departing or transferring, will have a great start to their holiday journey." The airport's developments for this summer are part of the Capacity Enhancement Programme, CEP, for Abu Dhabi International Airport. The CEP will lift the capacity ceiling at Abu Dhabi International Airport to 18 million passengers a year. This will be boosted by a further 30 million passengers when the Midfield Terminal opens in 2017. – Emirates News Agency, WAM