Airport News
Abu Dhabi International Airport today celebrated a milestone event – the assembly of the first steel arch of its new Midfield Terminal Building (MTB).
The facilty is set to transform the gateway when it opens in 2017.
His Excellency, Ali Majed Al Mansoori, chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), commented: “Today, once more Abu Dhabi Airports delivers on its promises and demonstrates its unwavering commitment to its mandate of developing the airport infrastructure for the emirate, in support of Abu Dhabi's Vision 2030.
"The Midfield Terminal Building is now rising into the sky, which is a clear testament that it will be the gateway to the capital city by 2017.”
The iconic design of the MTB is directly connected to the engineering concept behind these steel arches.
Each arch rises above its base in an incline format, rather than the vertical design that is commonly used, and spans over a considerable length, with the largest arch reaching 180 metres in length.
ADAC's CEO, Tony Douglas, enthused: “This is a proud moment for Abu Dhabi Airports as it allows the whole world now to witness the hard work we have committed ourselves to, and the masterpiece we are striving to deliver for Abu Dhabi and the UAE.
"The achievement today, in spite of its architectural complexity, is being delivered 20 days ahead of schedule which again confirms that the MTB will be delivered on time and on budget.”
The first arch that has been erected is one of the 18 arches to make up the steel primary structure for the MTB roof. This specific arch spans over 120 metres and weighs around 200 tonnes, whereas the biggest arch is to be 180m in length and would weigh around 300 tonnes.
By the end of 2014, all 18 arches will be completed and assembled.
The MTB is destined to become the gateway to Abu Dhabi and the future home of Etihad Airways and is expected to handle close to 30 million passengers in its first year of operation
