ABU DHABI'S Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) is gearing up to meet the future commercial aviation needs of the wealthiest emirate of the UAE. At a cost of AED 1,200 million, both Abu Dhabi International Airport (ADIA) and the Al-Ain International Airport are being expanded.

'We want to have the number one airport in the Gulf by 2005,' says Abdullah Bilhaif al-Nuaimi, director of engineering and maintenance at the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA).

'Aviation is a fast moving industry. Airports represent the development and the extent of commercial activity in a city. New investments and projects in Abu Dhabi are bound to enhance commercial activity which will mean a bigger flow of people to and from the emirate.'

'The current facilities available at ADIA are sufficient for another few years. The need for more services will arise by 2005 but we want to be ready ahead of time,' al-Nuaimi says.

The major elements of the expansion programme are:

Construction of second runway at ADIA: TAMS International of the US has been appointed consultant and is undertaking a site investigation. Design for the project will be completed within six months. The scope of work includes the construction of new taxiways, Instrument Landing System (ILS), airfield lighting and signage. Construction work worth about AED 350 million is scheduled to start by the end of 1998.

'Once this project is completed, ADIA will be the widest airport in the Middle East. The new generation of aircraft will have a wing span of more than 45 metres and our airport will be ready to handle them. This will give us an added advantage and an edge over other airports in the region.'

Construction of new ground handling facilities at ADIA: An AED 450 million project is planned to construct passenger aircraft aprons, bays and a satellite building. France's Aeroports de Paris has been appointed the design consultant for the project. Construction will start by the middle of next year.

Construction of warehouses for air freighters: Three new warehouse units will be constructed in stages. The project will be handled by DCA. Design for the first warehouse has been completed and construction is scheduled to start in early 1998. Each warehouse will have a number of stores for use by airfreighters and airlines. The structures will have columns with wide spans to ensure the easy movement of goods inside the buildings. To save time, prefabricated reinforced concrete will be used.

Extension of catering building at ADIA: An AED 35 million extension of the aircraft catering building has been completed recently to improve the flight kitchen. Stores for inflammable materials and sunshades for ground service vehicles have also been built.

Hotel Complex next to ADIA: To cater for more than 1 million transit passengers a year, a modern hotel complex will be built adjacent to the airport. The AED 60 million project will include gardens, playgrounds, swimming pool, club and a golf course. Shankland Cox of the UK has been appointed consultant for the project. A construction tender for the golf course will be issued by the middle of next year; the tender for the construction of the hotel, which will initially have 145 rooms, will be out by the end of 1998. A 22-room hotel inside the airport premises was recently completed.

Renovation of ADIA taxiways: Work is being carried out by the local/German contractor Strabag Abu Dhabi to upgrade the existing taxiways, aircraft aprons, airfield lighting, ground marking and signage system and six new bays will be built for wide-bodied aircraft. Consultant for the project is Dorsch Consult of Germany. The scope of work also includes construction of six new cargo parkings and laying a loop pipeline to supply the Gulf Aircraft Maintenance Company (GAMCO) with potable water from the airport's water storage tanks;

Improvement of the ADIA passenger terminal building: The terminal is being improved under an AED 28 million project. A design for the construction of new VIP and First Class lounges and loading bridges to replace the existing ones has been completed by DCA. Construction work will be carried out in two phases, starting early next year;

Upgrading ADIA's information systems: To improve the Flight Information Display System (FIDS), a design has been prepared by Pearce Buckle of the US for the installation of 32 check-in counter monitors, 32 information display boards and 80 coloured monitors. The new FIDS will provide visual and audio information to the public, staff, management, airlines and agencies in English and Arabic. Work on the AED 22 million project will start by June 1998 for completion by 2000.

Installation of new radars at ADIA andAl-Ain: Aeroports de Paris is preparing the design for another AED 74 million project to replace the radars at ADIA and Al-Ain International Airport. Two new radars will be installed at ADIA, one with a coverage capacity of 120 nautical miles and the other for ground movements control; primary and secondary radars will be installed at Al-Ain.

Replacement of passenger loading bridges: DCA will carry out an AED 43 million project to build eight 47-metre and three 37-metre loading bridges to replace the existing ones, and upgrade the baggage handling system. The project will be completed in two phases;

Extension of facilities at Al-Ain: An AED 50 million project will be carried out to construct a new cargo freight building, a catering building and to expand the terminal and apron buildings. New roads and facilities will also be built. Australia's Meinhardt has been appointed consultant for the project and a construction tender will be issued early next year.

The programme is ambitious but officials say it will be achieved on schedule and provide a timely boost to Abu Dhabi as it enters the next millennium. Al-Nuaimi certainly has no doubts: 'We are integrating the existing facilities at the airport with the needs of and the activities in the emirate as a whole. In five years Abu Dhabi will be the place that international commerce will focus on.'