By Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing PartnerPublished 5 min read
Why Abu Dhabi airport is now called Zayed International
Abu Dhabi International Airport took the name Zayed International Airport on 9 February 2024. The code stayed AUH, so a ticket showing either name lands at the same place.
Terminal A, the former midfield terminal, took its first passengers on 1 November 2023. Abu Dhabi Media Office said 28 airlines would move across in the first week and the terminal would be fully operational from 15 November. Flights from the older terminals, which many people still call Terminal 1, moved into Terminal A during that month.
| Terminal A in numbers | |
|---|---|
| Passengers a year | Up to 45 million |
| Passengers an hour | 11,000 |
| Aircraft at once | 79 |
| Shops and restaurants | 163 outlets |
Which airlines use Terminal A?
Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi, flies from Terminal A, along with the other airlines that moved across in November 2023. Air Arabia also sells a shuttle from the airport to Dubai for its passengers. Your airline’s app shows the terminal and live landing time for your flight.
Emirates does not fly from AUH. If your Emirates ticket includes a car, our guide to Emirates and Etihad chauffeur service explains who qualifies at each airport.
From the gate to the arrivals hall: immigration, bags and customs
- Leave the aircraft. If Abu Dhabi is your final stop, follow the Arrivals and Baggage Claim signs. Connecting passengers follow the purple Transfer signs instead.
- Passport control. Have your passport and any visa or entry approval ready.
- Baggage claim. Switch your phone on here. A pre-booked chauffeur messages you on WhatsApp with the meeting point.
- Customs. Walk through into the Terminal A arrivals hall.
Visa rules depend on your nationality and change often, so check them with your airline and the UAE’s official visa authorities before you fly.
Where does your chauffeur meet you at Terminal A?
Your Assure chauffeur waits in the Terminal A arrivals hall, beyond customs, holding a board with your name. VIP guests are welcomed personally by the chauffeur. After the welcome, the chauffeur takes your bags and walks you out to the car.
Pickups at Terminal A are arranged on request: send your flight number and we confirm the car for your date. Trips that start in Dubai and drop at AUH for a departure run in Assure’s own cars under its RTA licence. Both directions are set out on our Abu Dhabi airport transfer page.
Flying privately? Abu Dhabi also has Al Bateen Executive Airport on Abu Dhabi island, covered in our Al Bateen guide.
Taxis, buses and the airport express to Dubai
Taxis. Airport taxis wait at Terminal A around the clock and run on the meter to any address in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Mobility sets one airport tariff, day and night, for standard airport taxis and the larger Vito airport taxis.
| Part of the fare | Airport taxi or Vito airport taxi |
|---|---|
| Flag fall | AED 20 |
| Per kilometre | AED 1.82 |
| Waiting | 50 fils a minute |
| Booking fee, for a booked taxi | AED 4 by day, AED 5 from 10 pm to 6 am |
You can pay in cash, by Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or the PayBy app, or by card through the Abu Dhabi Taxi app.
Public buses. Abu Dhabi Mobility runs three routes from the airport.
- A1: to Al Zahiyah Bus Station in the city centre.
- A2: to the Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche on Khalifa Bin Zayed Street.
- A10: to MBZ City Bus Station.
Timetables are on the Darbi app and the Abu Dhabi Mobility bus page.
To Dubai. The airport lists an Airport Express shuttle bus to Ibn Battuta Bus Station in Dubai. Air Arabia sells an hourly shuttle to Ibn Battuta Mall with its bookings, AED 35 a seat, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Etihad First, The Residence, Business Comfort and Business Deluxe tickets include a chauffeur to any UAE address, Dubai included. The Abu Dhabi airport to Dubai guide compares these with a taxi and a private car.
Drive times from AUH to Yas, Saadiyat, the city, Dubai and Al Ain
Distances and drive times come from the OSRM route planner on OpenStreetMap data, averaged over both directions. The taxi column is our arithmetic on the airport tariff above, before waiting time, booking fees and tolls.
| From Terminal A to | Road distance | Without traffic | Airport taxi, about |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yas Island | 19 km | 23 min | AED 55 |
| Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque | 29 km | 29 min | AED 75 |
| ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi | 34 km | 30 min | AED 80 |
| Saadiyat Island, Louvre Abu Dhabi | 40 km | 32 min | AED 95 |
| Abu Dhabi city centre | 41 km | 34 min | AED 95 |
| Dubai Marina | 95 km | 1 h 3 min | Ask at the rank |
| Downtown Dubai | 115 km | 1 h 17 min | Ask at the rank |
| Al Ain | 148 km | 1 h 32 min | AED 290 |
Yas Island and Saadiyat are the closest hotel areas, and our guide to AUH to Yas and Saadiyat covers the drop-off points. Exhibitors heading straight to a show can read the ADNEC drop-off guide. For moving around the capital after you land, see getting around Abu Dhabi, or keep a car and driver with our chauffeur service in Abu Dhabi.
Heading to Dubai? The road between the two cities is on our Dubai to Abu Dhabi route page, and the UAE airports guide compares AUH with the other six airports.
Leaving from Terminal A
Terminal A uses biometric technology at screening and boarding, according to Abu Dhabi Media Office. Your airline sets the check-in times. From Dubai Marina, the drive to the terminal takes about 1 hour 3 minutes without traffic, so add that and a margin for the E11 to your airline’s check-in deadline.
Photos in this guide
The main hall of Terminal A at Zayed International Airport, with signs to the gates and the Etihad loungesVincent van Zeijst / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Etihad Airways passenger buggies parked inside Terminal A at Zayed International AirportOleg Yunakov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A moving walkway along a pier in Terminal A at Zayed International AirportOleg Yunakov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A silver Abu Dhabi taxi with a yellow roof signAravind Sivaraj / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
