Khalifa Port chief to run capital's airports

Tony Douglas, who brought Abu Dhabi's Khalifa Port project into creation, is to take over the running of the capital's airports at a critical time in their development.

Mr Douglas has been named chief executive of Abu Dhabi Airports Company (Adac).

A former chief executive of London Heathrow, the world's third busiest airport, he has stepped down as the chief executive of Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC). He was feted in the capital when the mammoth Dh26 billion (US$7.07bn) Khalifa Port project came in on time and on budget last December.

The appointment comes as Adac steps up the Dh10bn-plus extension of Abu Dhabi International Airport at the Midfield Terminal site, which is scheduled for completion in 2017.

"I feel honoured to be invited to join Adac at this crucial stage in its journey to become a world leader," Mr Douglas said. "This represents a challenge on a truly global scale with an opportunity to deliver one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects worldwide."

ADPC is the company behind the development of the Khalifa Port and adjoining Kizad - Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi - on the capital's outskirts.

The major deepwater port and the vast industrial site of almost half a million square kilometres is equivalent to two thirds the land mass of Singapore.

The ports company expects the high-tech gateway to handle more than one million containers this year. Its development plays a fundamental part in the Abu Dhabi Government's 2030 plan of economic diversification and is designed to attract companies involved in the manufacture of steel, aluminium, engineered metals, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, paper and food, as well as logistics.

Before the Khalifa Port development, Mr Douglas delivered Heathrow's £4.3 billion (Dh24.05bn) Terminal 5 project with similar punctuality and attention to financing.

He also led the programme management team in the build-up to the London 2012 Olympics.

Ali Majed Al Mansoori, the chairman of Adac, said: "Tony joins Adac at a critical stage in the company's journey to deliver an iconic air hub for Abu Dhabi. I am confident that his leadership will take Adac beyond this vast infrastructure project and on towards meeting our ambitious goal of becoming the world's leading airports group."

The Midfield Terminal project is a major plank in the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030. The 700,000 square metre terminal and the extra runway to go with it are expected to increase airline passenger traffic into the capital to more than 40 million people a year.

Last year Adac recorded more than 14.7 million passengers through the capital's airports.

The project is being built by a consortium created by the Turkish construction group TAV, Consolidated Contractors' Company, headquartered in Greece, and the UAE's Arabtec.

The area surrounding the new terminal will also undergo a transformation, according to the plans, with new roads and aircraft-parking stands all on the cards.

The extension is designed to house 65 aircraft. It will use some 69,000 tonnes of steel, more than 680,000 cubic metres of concrete, nearly 500,000 square metres of steel and glass cladding and 325,000 sq metres of stone flooring.

The duty-free shopping area will be more than 18,000 sq metres with 10,000 sq metres of restaurants and cafes.

Well-heeled travellers will be able to enjoy more than 27,500 sq metres of airline hospitality lounges. The check-in area is designed to handle as many as 8,500 passengers an hour at 165 counters and 48 self-service kiosks. The baggage system is designed to process more than 19,000 bags per hour.

There will be 136 security screening lanes for passengers, with a further 25 for staff.

Together with the development of the East Midfield site - a 200-hectare space for cargo handling, ground handling, in-flight catering and other support operations - the airport will grow to eight times its current size.

jdoran@thenational.ae