Abu Dhabi Airports company (Adac) will develop a $54.7 million (Dh200m) dedicated executive airport at Al Bateen military air base in Abu Dhabi, the company said yesterday at the Farnborough Air Show.
The Middle East's first dedicated executive airport, the Bateen facility, will be developed as an exclusive corporate jet facility, which until now has been a military airbase. It will be located 10km from Abu Dhabi city centre.
The company said the executive airport will act as a "one-stop shop" business jet facility, offering VVIP and VIP passenger terminals, airport services, maintenance, repair and overhaul, fuel, handling and other fixed-base operational services.
It added a number of national and international corporate jet companies as well as FBO (fixed-base operations) operators have expressed an interest in basing their operations at the former Bateen airbase.
"As a growing centre of international business and finance, Abu Dhabi has seen significant growth in the number of corporate jets coming to the city over the last few years. With this development, we are able to meet that demand today and into the future," said Khalifa Al Mazrouei, Adac's Chairman and Managing Director.
He added the conversion of the Bateen airbase to a private jet airport is a core element of Adac's strategy to meet current and future air travel demand in the emirate. The company also said there are more than 380 corporate jets based in the Middle East, forecast to grow to 900 by 2014.
With industry experts predicting close to 15,000 business jets worth $192bn to be purchased over the next decade, the regional business aviation markets will have massive potential, achieving 18 per cent growth year-on-year, according to Adac.
The Bateen airport facility, meanwhile, would add a third airport to Adac's portfolio of aviation facilities it owns and operates, the company said, adding that it is also developing plans to operate island airports at Delma and Sir Baniyas.
ADAT to build $75 hanger
Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT) yesterday announced the development of a new $75 million (Dh275m) hangar, spanned across an area of 96,000 square feet.
Aimed at increasing the company's working capacity and business capabilities by 35 per cent, the hangar is scheduled for completion in 2010, Adac said.
It added that the hangar is a part of Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies' ongoing strategy to achieve a $800m revenue stream by 2012 and will be the company's sixth hangar in total and the second announced this year.
Meanwhile, the company also said work is already underway on a dedicated single bay, line and light maintenance hangar for Etihad Airways. This is as part of a $500m, five-year MRO agreement signed between the two companies last year.