Abu Dhabi Airport Is Getting A New Name

One of the world’s busiest and most recognized airports is about to change its name. Abu Dhabi International Airport, the hub of Etihad Airways, will officially change its name to Zayed International Airport in February next year. The new name will be adopted on the same day as the official opening of the airport’s latest Terminal A.

New name

Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) will soon be called by a different name in a few months from now. The name change will occur on February 9, 2024, when the new Terminal A will also officially open.

Photo: Abu Dhabi International Airport

AUH will be called Zayed International Airport to honor the founder of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. He was also the president of the UAE from 1971 until his death in 2004. The decision to change the airport’s name was taken by the UAE’s current president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the son of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

New terminal

There are still about three months before AUH will officially be called Zayed International Airport. This has been done so that the name change can formally come into effect around the time when the new Terminal A of the airport is also officially declared open.

Built at the cost of $3 billion, Terminal A has already started flight operations and welcomed its first passengers on October 31 for an Etihad Airbus A350-1000 flight to New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL).

The airline celebrated the occasion by inviting all passengers on that flight to the new flagship lounges. A special menu was designed for the guests on the New Delhi flight, and a photo booth was also present to mark the occasion.

Etihad, in fact, has gradually been shifting operations to the new terminal. The move happened between November 9 and 14, and all flights of the airline now operate out of Terminal A.

Not the first airport to change its name

While a name change of a significant airport like Abu Dhabi’s warrants attention, this is not the first time something like this has happened. In the past, several other airports around the world have had their names changed for various reasons, primarily to honor the memory of a famous leader or personality.

What is today known as Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) began its journey as United Airport. Over the years, it has changed its name a whopping six times. Some of its other names over the decades include Union Air Terminal and Lockheed Air Terminal, among others.

Photo: Wirestock Creators | Shutterstock

London Heathrow Airport (LHR) was previously called ‘London Airport.’ Over the years, as Gatwick Airport became more prominent, it was decided that London Airport needed a less generic name to distinguish it from Gatwick. Eventually, it was named after ‘Heath Row,’ the hamlet it was built on.

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