Abu Dhabi Airports said about 86% of the work on its AED19.1bn Midfield Terminal Building (MTB) has been completed and is on track for launch by the fourth quarter of 2019.
The company, which is the operator of both Abu Dhabi and Al Ain International airports, has so far spent about 66% of the budget (nearly AED12.5bn) for the MTB, said the state news agency Wam, citing a senior official.
As per schedule, MTB will be ready for operation in 2019. It will serve 84 million passengers a year, or 11,000 passengers per hour at peak times, stated Abdul Majeed Al Khoori, the acting CEO at Abu Dhabi Airports. The new terminal building will have 28,000sqm of retail and food and beverage space, explained Al Khoori to give an update on the progress made in the construction of the mega aviation project. The 742,000sqm MTB features the worlds longest indoor arch 180 m long and 52-m high, weighing 1,000 tonnes, he added.
Some of the key facts of the project are:
1. Over 15,000 workers are on the site.
2. MTB roof is resting on 18 steel arches
3.MTB roof grill weighs 20,000 tonnes
4.MTB baggage handling system will process over 19,200 bags per hour, along 28km of conveyor.
5. MTB is designed to have 45 minutes minimum connection time, including baggage transfers
6. MTB will have 35,000sqm of Duty Free shopping, retail, dining, and entertainment
7.Total size of MTB is 742,000sqm
8.MTB is visible from 1.5 km away
9.MTB has four piers, with 65 stands, and 14 remote stands – Its longest pier is 550m
10.All four of MTBs piers used a total of 26,500 tonnes of steel
11.200,000sqm of glass is being used for curtain-walling of MTB
12. 260,000sqm of aluminium is being used for the roof of the MTB
13. MTB has been given Three Pearl Rating by Estidama Pearl Building Rating System
14. MTB will have 145 elevators, 46 travelators, and 106 passenger bridges
17. MTB will have over 30,000sqm of lounge space
The experimental operations will begin by the end of 2018, said the report.