Abu Dhabi Airports installs first three passenger-boarding bridges

Abu Dhabi Airports has successfully installed the first three of 106 passenger- boarding bridges in the new Midfield Terminal Building (MTB).

These bridges have been constructed with glass walls to allow passengers to appreciate the unique architecture of the MTB and see their aircraft as they board.

Ali Majed Al Mansoori, chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports said: “The installation of this first batch of passenger boarding bridges is another major milestone in the construction of the terminal. The logistics of placing such a large piece of equipment on an active job site, with ongoing airfield and terminal work, were challenging, but our expert team performed flawlessly and we anticipate that the process of equipping all 65 new gates with this important infrastructure will be just as smooth.

“We are using the latest in smart airport technology for the Midfield Terminal Building. Each of our new passenger boarding bridges will interface with the Visual Docking Guidance Systems, which direct aircraft to their gate parking positions. All of our bridges also have anti-collision sensors to protect aircraft from damage. Aided by this technology we are confident that we are delivering a product of the highest quality which can support the operation of the wide variety aircraft types that we see here at Abu Dhabi International Airport.” Al Mansoori added.

Abu Dhabi Airports has also broken ground on the construction site of the new Midfield Terminal Building’s fire station.

The state-of-the-art 12,000 square meter facility, will house the teams, who will be first on the scene for any emergency situation at the airport, once the MTB is up and running. The Midfield Fire Station will be equipped with nine response vehicles, and 172 firefighters, all managed by Abu Dhabi Airports’ Emergency Service & Quality Assurance department.

Al Mansoori said: “The Midfield Fire Station has been designed to ensure the highest level of emergency readiness, in line with optimum safety and security standards, to handle dynamic emergency situations and potential hazards in an airfield environment. Our aim is to be able to respond to fires in less than four minutes and to get to an emergency in any area in which aircraft movements take place, in less than two minutes. This approach demonstrates Abu Dhabi Airports’ commitment to ensuring maximum safety for passengers, employees and service providers.”