Flying high!
The UAE is looking to spend close to $20 billion on its aviation sector to keep pace with demand as well as further its ambition as a regional hub, says ABDULAZIZ KHATTAK.
01 July 2011
WHILE the Gulf countries have allocated an estimated $90 billion for airport development over the next few years, it is the UAE that is leading the race in investment in airport development activity with Dubai having allocated $10 billion and Abu Dhabi $6.8 billion.
This comes against the backdrop of the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) report, which sees the UAE to be the world’s second fastest growing aviation market in the world with 10.2 per cent growth by 2013, second to China with a 10.8 per cent growth. Supporting the report are recent awards presented to Abu Dhabi International Airport (ADIA) for the “Best Airport in the Middle East” and “Best Airport for Tax Free Shopping, Globally”.
Amongst the major developments currently planned in the UAE are Dubai airports’ Dh22 billion ($5.9 billion) programme towards expansion of Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) by 2020. Also planned is a Dh4-billion ($1.1 billion) investment into the development of the aviation and residential cities at DWC.
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The cargo hall at DWC and an artist’s impression of the Midfield Terminal at ADIA (above). |
The UAE’s other emirates too have expansion plans on the cards. Ras Al Khaimah International Airport has announced a 10-year development plan worth Dh2.5 billion ($545 million), while Fujairah International Airport has allocated Dh50 million ($13.62 million) towards expansion and development this year, and an additional Dh100 million ($27.78 million) in 2012.
Abu Dhabi
Following the successful opening of Terminal Three in January 2009, the next major phase of development at the ADIA is the construction of the new Midfield Terminal Complex (MTC).
The Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) has already invited bids to develop the MTC, which is scheduled to open for operations in 2016.
Requests for proposals were due at the end of last month (June 30) for comprehensive operational readiness and transfer (ORAT) consultancy services to ensure that the new MTC and associated airport facilities are ready to operate safely, efficiently and fully compliant with all regulatory requirements and to the maximum levels of customer service on opening day, according to ADAC.
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The lounge at Fujairah airport’s Executive |
The MTC comprises a state-of-the-art terminal facility, which will include a vast array of duty-free offerings, restaurants, lounges and much more. It will also encompass airside and landside infrastructure, a multi-storey car-park, cargo and catering buildings, a maintenance complex and other supporting facilities.
The MTC will be located between the airport’s two runways to allow for efficient operations and minimum taxi time from runways to aircraft parking stands. Covering 630,000 sq m, it will be one of the region’s largest and most architecturally iconic structures.
Following an extensive analysis, an X-shaped plan was determined to provide the greatest programmatic efficiencies with the initial 39-gate facility. The design creates large, column-free zones that enhance passenger experience and can accommodate future expansion, internal reconfiguration, and technological changes.
The new terminal complex will be capable of handling 27 million passengers a year in its initial phase of development. As Abu Dhabi develops as a major Middle East transport hub, up to 40 million annual passengers will be accommodated via a further phase of expansion. The MTC will have up to 65 contact and 14 remote stands to handle the anticipated growth.
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Almazroui ... progress |
Piling works for the terminal building began in February 2009 and were completed in September 2010. The Supervision Committee for the Expansion of the Abu Dhabi International Airport (Scadia) is the developer while Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) is the architect.
ADIA is the primary gateway to the emirate of Abu Dhabi and, by 2015, 20 million people are expected to use the facility as their origin, destination or transit point for their international flights. This growth trend is expected to continue well into the future as the overall economy expands and diversifies.
Dubai
Dubai last year joined an elite group of two-airport cities when Dubai Airports officially opened Phase One of DWC for cargo operations. The facility launched general aviation operations in April this year.
The new facility currently serves over 19 cargo operators while passenger operations are expected to commence in 2012.
Phase One of the airport features one A380-compatible runway, a passenger terminal with a capacity of five million passengers per annum (expandable to 7 mppa); a cargo terminal building with a capacity of 250,000 tonnes per annum (expandable to 600,000 tpa) and a 92-m air traffic control tower.
When completed, DWC is expected be the largest airport in the world with five runways, four terminal buildings and capacity for 160 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of cargo. The cost for the entire DWC development, including all clusters, has been estimated to be over $32 billion.
Meanwhile, the Dubai Aviation City Corporation (DACC) has invited bids for Phase Three of the Dubai International Airport expansion project. Bids are for the superstructure, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP), finishes and site works for the Terminal Two expansion at the Dubai International Airport.
The project is a multi-phased addition and refurbishment of the existing Terminal Two facility and consists of two parts. Part One calls for the addition of a new departure and check-in hall located adjacent to the existing Terminal Two building. This will in turn have two parts. The main hall will be a 205-m-long and 90-m-wide structure housing the departure public and check-in halls, emigration hall, departure BHS (back of house services) and the airline and management offices. In addition, there will be a 70-m-long extension connecting the expansion to the current facility.
Part Two of the contract constitutes a phased refurbishment of the existing facility. This will be done while the terminal is in full operation. The target building is 430 m long and 68 m wide and will house further boarding lounges, duty-free shops, arrival immigration, transfer hall, baggage claim area, arrival public hall and the arrival BHS. The scope of work also includes providing all associated infrastructure such as a car-park, approach roads and surrounding landscape.
The terminal had undergone a significant refurbishment before the June 2009 launch of Flydubai. The plan is part of an overall strategy to cater for the growth of the locally-based budget carrier, and the booming tourism sector in general.
Dubai Airports owns and manages the operation and development of both of Dubai’s airports – Dubai International as well as DWC.
Among other developments, Dubai International’s Concourse Three, which is scheduled to open in 2012, is expected to attract nearly $1.17 billion in investments and is designed specifically to accommodate the superjumbo A380.
Fujairah
Fujairah International Airport, meanwhile, witnessed the opening late last year of its Executive Aviation Terminal, designed to attract business aviation fixed-base operators (FBOs) to set up at the airport and take part in developing this business stream.
Construction work on the terminal was completed in June 2010 and the fit-outs by September last year. A request for proposals has been issued to selected business aviation and FBO companies and the process of selecting a suitable operator is coming to a close with an announcement expected at the Dubai Air Show in November, says Dr Khaled Almazroui, general manager of the Executive Aviation Terminal.
Two main companies were engaged for the Executive Aviation Terminal – DRU for design consultancy and Fujairah National Construction and Transport (FNCT) as the main construction contractor. Fujairah International Airport is the project and facility owner.
“A VIP terminal was already in existence at the site but this building was aging and required substantial renovation,” Almazroui explains. “The requirement to offer this to an external operator meant that the floor area available was too restricted, so a two-storey design was accepted. Construction was to be completed in two phases with the first phase only being the ground floor area. When required, the second floor can be built.”
The project had its challenges though says Almazroui. “The greatest difficulty apart from the proximity of underground services to the construction site and foundations was the fact that this project existed on a secure boundary between the landside and restricted access, airside area. This meant that in addition to the normal construction project management process, the boundary to the airside had to be maintained securely to meet national and international security requirements.”
This boundary was also required to ensure that no construction materials or wrapping was allowed to be blown or dropped onto the airside in order to protect these materials from becoming foreign object debris (FOD), which can be sucked in by aircraft jet engines or being blown into moving aircraft causing costly damage.
