United Arab Emirates - PM Communications

UAE 3rd NOVEMBER 2007 ABU DHABI / 5Abu Dhabi International Airport will eventually be able to cater for 40 million passengers‘We need todeliver topnotch servicesat the highestmanagementlevel’from the Department of Civil Aviation lastyear when it was given responsibility foroperating, managing and maintaining airportsin the emirate.Khalifa Mohamed Al Mazrouei,ADAC’sChairman,says the growth and expansionof the airport at its current location,ideallylocated 18 miles outside Abu DhabiIsland, provides “the freedom to expandon an almost unlimited level. Future developmentswill grow towards the Bahrainhighway and Dubai highway, which arealso strategically located.”In order to maintain the level of serviceand ensure that there is no congestion,the new facilities have been designedto cater for 10 to 15 years expectedgrowth,he adds. “In that way wecan add future expansions without disruptingthe operations of the airport.”ADAC is working closely with EtihadAirways, whose growth it aims to facilitate.Etihad is one of the fastest growingairlines in the world. Over the past year,it has added 15 wide-bodied aircraft toits fleet, as well as 10 new internationaldestinations, including New York, KualaLumpur and Sydney.In the first six monthsof the year, Etihad carried more than 1.9million passengers compared to 900,000for the same period last year,an increaseof 111 per cent.Creation of ADAC is part of a widergovernment initiative aimed at improvingservices to support the emirate’slong-term strategies for the economy ingeneral and tourism in particular. A keyelement is the direct involvement of theprivate sector.According to Mr Mazrouei, there aremore than 100 areas of operation at theairport in which the private sector couldbe involved, ranging from air traffic controlto catering. “We assess every activityand its cost, and if the private sector cando better than us, we outsource.“We need to deliver top notch serviceat the highest management level, andthis we must do either internally orthrough the support of certain private airportoperators who have already a trackrecord of strong service levels.”ADAC has signed up Changi AirportsInternational as operations manager ofthe airport. The Singapore-based companyhas assumed management of operationsin key areas, such as terminal andapron operations, airport emergencyservices,and customer services for an 18-month term, and is also advising on theplanning of the Midfield Terminal.The airport was recently named besthub in the Middle East and Africa by theAirports Council International, an organisationrepresenting hundreds of airfieldoperators across the globe.“Our pursuitfor improvement is relentless,” saysMr Al Mazrouei.“It starts with safety and security issuesand goes all the way to the lengthof waiting time at baggage collection,how long an arriving passenger has toqueue for a taxi, through to check-intimes, immigration services, lounge,food and beverage and duty-free experiences.”●Duty free shopping to be extended■Opportunities for duty freeshopping at the Abu DhabiAirport are being greatly increased tocater for the rise in the number ofpassengers passing through. The amountof space allocated to Abu Dhabi DutyFree (ADDF), the region’s leading travelretailer by customer spend and secondby turnover, is being extended with theopening of the new Terminal 3 and thelaunch of a new 48 hour duty freeshopping concept.Sales results for the first six months ofthis year show turnover is 33.26 per centhigher than the same period last year.“We expect to cross the £49 millionmark in terms of turnover by the end ofthe year,” says Niveen Ibrahim, theADDF’s General Manager.Free trade zone to open■Establishing a free zone isintended to turn the airport intoa thriving business and cargo hub. Phase1, which will extend over 75 millionsquare feet, will come into operation inJune next year.The zone will offer world-class facilitiesand services, and a user friendlyenvironment for a wide range ofbusinesses including: aerospace andrelated activities, logistics and freight,electronics and electricals, engineeringand building materials, technology andtelecommunications, and oil and gasproducts.Clusters of amenities will be close byand expansion and redevelopment of theexisting cargo facilities will have beencompleted by the time the zoneAt around £25, average spending perdeparting passenger is one of thehighest in the industry. A new 500-square foot, 48-hour arrivals shop, afirst in the region, will permit travellersto take advantage of their duty freeallowance for up to two days afterarriving in Abu Dhabi.“We are proud to be the first in theregion to be offering this service andconvenience to passengers,” saysMohammed Mounib,ADAC’sCommercial Director.“One of the clearadvantages of the shop is that if apassenger does not take advantage oftheir duty free allowance when initiallycoming through the airport, they will beable to do so for up to two days afterarrival.”becomes operational.Companies establishing themselves inthe zone will be able to take advantageof the airport’s strategic geographicalposition on the crossroads between eastand west. Investors will benefit from 100per cent exemption from corporate tax,imports and export duties and personalincome tax.Total foreign ownership isallowed, along with 100 per centrepatriation of capital and profits.Khalifa Al Mazrouei,ADAC’s Chairmansays: “Developing a free zone is animportant part of the development andexpansion of Abu Dhabi InternationalAirport. It will ensure that the airportwill become a thriving cargo and businesshub, as well as increasing nonaeronauticalrevenues.”