21 Dec 2015 , Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi Airports has successfully installed the first three of 106 passenger boarding bridges in the new Midfield Terminal Building (MTB). These state-of-the-art 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.

H.E 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.

German manufacturer Thyssenkrupp delivered the 24 bridges to the MTB site and will be providing the remaining bridges over the coming 15 months. Pre-installation testing is ongoing at their manufacturing facility in Spain prior to the bridges arriving in Abu Dhabi, with further trials taking place on-site at the MTB. Eight of the bridges have been specifically designed to serve the upper deck of the Airbus A380, with the longest bridge capable of extending to an impressive 45 meters.