MEBA10: Instrument landings boost for Al Bateen

The airport’s 3,200m runway is long enough to handle corporate and VIP aircraft as big as the Boeing BBJ and Airbus A319 CJ. The newly added ILS allows aircraft to land accurately and safely in low-visibility conditions, and increases airport capacity by reducing the minimum interval between landings.

The addition of ILS is part of a long-term development plan for the airport that also includes upgrades to its air traffic control and automated weather observation systems in the near future.

“This milestone firmly places Al Bateen on the map of world airports,” James Bennett, chief executive of operator Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), said. “We see the airport growing into a business aviation hub, and this upgrade puts us on the right track to realise that ambition.”

Located five kilometres from the central business district of Abu Dhabi, Al Bateen has more than 90 hangar parking and maintenance spaces and 20 apron stands. A business campus offers full facilities for business travellers, including stand-alone offices, and a luxury hotel is planned.

Services for aircraft operators include fuel and handling, and ADAC is working to attract aviation vendors and other aviation businesses, including flight training, to the site.