Abu Dhabi, UAE, June 3nd, 2006: Abu Dhabi Airports Company "ADAC" announced that it has selected Kohn Pederson Fox Associates as the top finalist firm for appointment as the master architect for the Midfield Terminal Complex of Abu Dhabi International Airport.

ADAC has invited the London-based firm for further negotiations to put together a final deal. ADAC's master plan envisions construction of a 220,000 square-meter terminal, midfield between the existing runway and a new one to be built two kilometers to the north.

The Company has recently concluded an AED one billion contract with Odebrecht- Al Jaber, a UAE-Brazilian joint venture to construct a 4,100 meter runway, spaced at a distance of 2,000 meters from the existing runway. Work on the category 111, all-weather runway is to be completed by November 2007.

The Midfield Terminal is projected to add 20 million to the Airport's passenger handling capacity when it comes on stream by 2010. The facility's flexible design allows for ultimate expansion to over 50 million people and more than two million tons of cargo each year.

The Airport's capacity has almost doubled to 6.8 million passengers since August 2005, following renovation of the main terminal and creation of Terminal 1A and Terminal 2, just 900 meters away.

The second runway and the Midfield Terminal will significantly boost the Airport's capacity to cope with a spiraling traffic, fuelled by a rapid expansion of the Airport's home airline, Etihad Airways. Expanding at a record rate of one destination per month, the national Airline of the UAE has already winged its way to 30 destinations and it plans to expand globally to 70 destinations by 2010. 

These projects are part of an ambitious AED30 billion expansion program to transform the Emirate's gateway into a "best in class" airport by 21st century standards. They represent a key part of a long-term strategy to meet the challenges of Abu Dhabi's exciting growth and determination to become one of the world's leading aviation, tourism, and business centers.

-Ends-

For more information, please call:
Maryam Al Serkal,
P.O.Box 38811,
Abu Dhabi,
UAE,
Tel: +971 2 5095124,
Fax: +9715095050,
email: malserkal@scadia.ae

Intisar Al Qsar,
MCS/Action at Dubai Media City
390 2977,
Mobile: 050 2950597,
Fax: 390 8161,
email: Intisar.q@actionprgroup.com

© Press Release 2006