Abu Dhabi, 6th October, 2015 (WAM): On the occasion of UAE Civil Aviation Day, Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), and Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of the GCAA, accompanied by Ali Majed Al Mansouri, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports, took an aerial tour of the Midfield Terminal Building (MTB), to review the construction progress made on the future gateway to the capital city."The minister commented, "In the last few decades, the UAE has seen unprecedented growth in air transport, and I am pleased to be celebrating the UAE Civil Aviation Day by witnessing the progress in the industry?s iconic Midfield Terminal Building, at Abu Dhabi International Airport."He added: "I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the level of cooperation between the GCAA and Abu Dhabi Airports, and urge everyone to continue in these efforts to deliver an environment that supports the sustainable development of the aviation industry within our country."The MTB - which will be the largest singular building in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and one of the region?s most architecturally impressive, environmentally friendly and innovative structures - is the centerpiece of Abu Dhabi Airports? multibillion-dollar capital investment program, designed to create additional capacity to handle the increase in passenger traffic. The project is expected to be 70% complete by the end 2015, and once the MTB is operational, overall airport capacity will increase to 45 million passengers per year.
Ali Majed Al Mansouri, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports, said, "The UAE Civil Aviation Day is a day to celebrate and recognize the achievements of our country in this sector over the last eight decades. The cutting-edge development and extraordinary progress made would not have been possible without the unlimited support of the UAE?s wise leadership and the vision of Abu Dhabi Government to establish the Emirate as a world-class aviation hub. As the MTB building structure takes shape and its presence can be seen on the city?s horizon, I look forward to the final stages of this exciting journey as Abu Dhabi Airports moves towards the delivery of this iconic structure in 2017. Al Mansouri continued, ''On this occasion, Abu Dhabi Airports would like to congratulate Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on receiving the ?Man of Aviation? award. UAE Civil Aviation Day is marked on October 5th every year with the aim of highlighting the country?s rich aviation history, current developments in the sector, and the safety and efficiency of air transport as a mode of travel.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2015.
