Summary
- Abu Dhabi International Airport has officially been renamed Zayed International Airport in honor of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Founding Father.
- The renaming ceremony was attended by Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad, who expressed pride in honoring Sheikh Zayed’s achievements in connecting the UAE to the world. The airport’s new logo, featuring iconic symbols of Abu Dhabi, was also revealed.
- Terminal A is a significant addition to Zayed International Airport, covering a massive area of 742,000 sq.m. This state-of-the-art terminal can handle up to 79 aircraft and over 11,000 passengers per hour, significantly boosting the airport’s capacity.
Abu Dhabi International officially became the Zayed International Airport on February 9th, 2024.
The name change was announced by President Sheikh Mohamed last year in honor of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The date coincides with the airport’s Terminal A opening.
The naming event
To celebrate the event, the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Airport Board of Directors and Adviser for Special Affairs at the Presidential Court, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad, attended the ceremony on Friday at the airport.
Speaking at the event, Sheikh Mohammed stated,
“We are immensely proud to rename Abu Dhabi’s largest airport in honor of the Founding Father of the UAE. The unsurpassed achievements of the late Sheikh Zayed in connecting our country to nations around the world have inspired our commitment to ensuring that Abu Dhabi further strengthens its position as a world-leading hub for travel, trade, and commerce.”
The airport’s new logo was also shown to the public for the first time. It features the Qasr Al Hosn Fort and Terminal A, a traditional dhow boat, the desert sun, and a date palm tree.
The event is set to span the entire weekend, with live concerts, digital events, giveaways, and further promotions to mark the importance of change. The Mohamed bin Rashad Space Center also marked the occasion by showing a time-lapse of Terminal A being built.
Vendors and airport stores will offer travelers special discounts and deals on February 11th. Even airlines were getting involved. Both Emirates and Wizz Air announced sales from the 9th to 14th.
Terminal A
Flying into Abu Dhabi International (AUH) has always been a bit of a downer due to the bland airport. However, all that changed in November 2023 when the new Terminal A was built.
Zayed International Airport’s Terminal A covers a whooping 742,000 sq.m, making it one of the largest in the world. The size will allow the airport to increase its passenger and cargo capacity immensely, ushering in more trade and tourism.
The $3 billion terminal can simultaneously handle up to 79 aircraft and over 11,000 passengers per hour. It is expected to double its previous capacity and can handle roughly 45 million passengers annually.
Abu Dhabi’s Huge New Terminal Will Open On November 1st
The terminal is reportedly triple the size of the previous facility.
The terminal is going to be one of the most technologically advanced yet, featuring the implementation of biometrics and facial recognition technology to speed up security and immigration checks.
