Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) and Narita International Airports Corporation (NAA) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a sister-airport relationship between Abu Dhabi International Airport and Tokyo-Narita International Airport; intended to facilitate closer co-operation and create new opportunities for the two airports.
Under the agreement, the two parties will create joint strategies for developing the routes linking the two airports, as well as promoting business development opportunities for the business communities in their respective markets. Furthermore, NAA and ADAC will be sharing best practices and exchanging valuable expertise between the two organisations in the areas of airport operations, environment, ground transportation and logistics.
The MoU was signed by H.E. Khalifa Al Mazrouei, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports Company, and Kosaburo Morinaka, President and CEO of Narita International Airports Corporation, in a ceremony at the Okura Hotel in Tokyo.
The signing was attended by the UAE Ambassador to Japan, H.E. Saeed Al Nowais, and leading members of a delegation from Abu Dhabi, arriving on the inaugural Etihad Airways flight to the Japanese capital.
H.E. Khalifa Al Mazrouei, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports Company and Director General of the Municipality of Abu Dhabi said:
“We are delighted to be here today to formalise the growing relationship between our two airports. Abu Dhabi Airports Company and Narita International Airports Corporation are both committed to the advancement of airport operations, and by joining together we will be able to explore new opportunities and learn from each other. Abu Dhabi Airports Company is firmly committed to creating a premier airport hub bridging the East and the West, and we continue to invest in our infrastructure, our technology, our people and our partnerships.”
“With the launch of Etihad Airways’ direct service connecting Abu Dhabi and Tokyo, there is an opportunity for our two capital cities to work together, sharing our cultures and our experiences in aviation as well as other business and leisure sectors. We look forward to welcoming all these communities to Abu Dhabi International Airport,” Al Mazrouei added.
Mr. Kosaburo Morinaka, President & CEO of Narita International Airport Corporation, said:
“I am extremely delighted to be able to mark the launching of the Abu Dhabi-Narita service with the signing of a sister airport agreement with Abu Dhabi Airport, the hub of business and tourism of the UAE’s capital. While the objective of this agreement is to achieve sustainable development for both airports through bilateral cooperation, we also expect that, as the gateway airports to our respective countries, the agreement will contribute to dramatic increase in passenger and cargo traffic between Japan and the Middle East and improvements in the aviation network with the region.”
Abu Dhabi International Airport is currently one of the world’s fastest-growing airports, with more than 9.3 million passengers in 2009. There is currently a multi-billion dollar redevelopment and expansion programme under way at the airport, with a new Midfield Terminal Complex due to open in 2015. Once completed, this development will provide capacity for 20-40 million passengers per year.
Narita International Airport is the largest airport in Japan, and one of the busiest airports in the world, serving more than 32 million passengers and 1.81 million tons of cargo per year.
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