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Background to Abu Dhabi International Airport (ADIA)
The history of Abu Dhabi aviation dates back to 1929, when the British Royal Forces started using the calm coastal waters as a base for their "flying boats". During the 1960's, the Emirate's first airport was inaugurated in the Al Bateen district of Abu Dhabi, and by 1982 a new airport was established approximately 30 km east of Abu Dhabi City, at a major national crossroads on the UAE road network. The new facility (Abu Dhabi International Airport) was designed for a capacity of 3.5 million passengers per annum.
In March 2006, ADAC was created following Emiri Decree No 5. ADAC runs and operates Abu Dhabi and Al Ain International Airports, Al Bateen Exeutive Airport, Sir Bani Yas and Delma Island Airports. H.E. Khalifa Al Mazrouei is the Chairman of ADAC as well as leading SCADIA as its Chairman.
The current multi-billion US dollars expansion program will raise ADIA’s passenger capacity to 20 million, when the new terminal complex is operational. The Airport will serve one of the world's fastest growing cities.
A Master Plan has been developed which allows for phased growth of passenger traffic to beyond 40 million per year from the current seven million, while cargo capacity will be boosted to 2.5 million tons per year. The program, which aims at transforming ADIA into a world-class facility, is but one aspect of a full-fledged Government strategy that will see the UAE capital evolve into an international business and tourism hub.
Other major components of the Master Plan include a second runway which became operational in 2009, a new air traffic control tower, a new cargo complex, and a free trade zone.
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