The Gulf is no stranger to spectacular airport projects. The next major project nearing completion is the Midfield Terminal in Abu Dhabi. The emirate's airport currently handles some 25 million passengers a year. However, to cope with the rapid increase in traffic in recent years, due to the rise of Etihad, the airport has had to add temporary structures which, although they can absorb the flow of passengers, do not offer the level of comfort worthy of the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Next year will see the opening of the Midfield Terminal, a mega-structure that will accommodate more than 30 million passengers, bringing the airport's total capacity to 45 million passengers a year. The project is architecturally pharaonic. As is its cost, estimated at over three billion dollars. Under the undulating roof of the terminal, four wave-like piers will accommodate 65 aircraft, while the heart of the terminal could hold 21 football pitches! This gigantic scale will not be at the expense of efficiency, with passengers guaranteed a transfer in 45 minutes.
Doha Hamad International Airport: ever more technology
Over the past few months, Qatar airport has been testing a series of technological solutions that will give passengers greater independence when moving around the terminal, from check-in to boarding the plane. Self-service kiosks for check-in and automatic baggage drop-off are being deployed, giving passengers greater autonomy. These kiosks will also make it possible to pay baggage surcharges, upgrade or obtain access to a lounge. The technology should considerably reduce waiting times at both immigration and boarding checkpoints. Automatic passport control will be extended to a larger number of nationalities. At the same time, tests are being carried out on automatic boarding.
First
At the end of June, Dubai introduced an airport tax. It is the first of its kind in a Gulf state. Set at 35 dirhams (9.50 US$), it is paid by all passengers, including transfer passengers. It will be used to finance the airport's expansion at a time when the emirate's oil and gas resources are dwindling.
Low costs
At the end of 2017, low-cost carrier FlyDubai will set up operations at Dubai Al Makhtoum airport, the emirate's second hub located near the World Trade Centre. Currently based at Dubai International's Terminal 2, the carrier offers flights to 90 destinations in the Middle East and Asia, as well as Russia and Eastern Europe.
