Abu Dhabi Airports is conducting its largest live trial for the new Terminal A ahead of its opening in November. The airport has selected over 6,000 volunteers for this testing and trial exercise in Abu Dhabi. The ongoing trial plays a pivotal role in evaluating various aspects like stress-test equipment, staff and procedures in key operating areas of the terminal.
As reported by Emirates News Agency, WAM, the volunteers include Abu Dhabi Airports staff members, students, families and stakeholders from the aviation ecosystem. For this trial, the systems and processes being tested are check-in and baggage, security screening, boarding gates, immigration and customs.
Additionally, volunteers at immigration counters are testing the speed and accuracy of the process for passengers, fine-tuning documents and customs inspections. At boarding and departure, tests include scanning the boarding passes of volunteers and assessing procedural preparedness to communicate changes in flight information.
The newly built Terminal A is among the largest airport terminals in the world and covers 742,000 square metres of built-up area. On this, Elena Sorlini, Managing Director and Interim CEO at Abu Dhabi Airports said, “Our commitment to excellence has driven our journey to prepare for Terminal A’s opening, as we focus on conducting extensive large-scale assessments to ensure the speed, efficiency and delivery of operations. I'd like to thank the volunteers who have participated in these trials for their unwavering support.”
Once operational, this Terminal A will increase Abu Dhabi International Airport’s passenger and cargo capacity contributing to the acceleration of the emirate’s economic growth. The terminal can handle 45 million passengers per year and process 11,000 passengers per hour.
Terminal A will provide the foundation of Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector expansion and cement its position as a global gateway and aviation hub.