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“Aer Rianta International and Lagardère Capital came up with ideas that will set new benchmarks in airport retail“ |
H.E. Ali Majed Al Mansoori Chairman Abu Dhabi Airports |
Publisher’s introduction: Just before the official announcement of the core Midfield Terminal Building duty free awards to Aer Rianta International and Lagardère Capital , Abu Dhabi Airports Chairman His Excellency Ali Majed Al Mansoori spoke to Martin Moodie about the project, the ambitions that underpin it and the importance of the retail offer.
We begin with a summary of that conversation, followed by a detailed Question and Answer session with His Excellency about the new airport and the role commercial activities and other related consumer services will play within it.
H.E. Ali Majed Al Mansoori is in upbeat mood as he talks about his and the government’s plans for the extraordinarily ambitious Midfield Terminal Building, due to open at Abu Dhabi International Airport in late 2017.
The project is a pivotal component of The Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, a comprehensive Government plan for the long-term transformation and diversification of the emirate’s economy.
“It is very important,” he says, talking to The Moodie Report over tea at the Westin Abu Dhabi in early December. “You know, we’ve planned the aviation sector as one of the enablers of economic growth for the future. So what you see on the ground today with all Abu Dhabi’s aviation projects proves that executing these plans is necessary to deliver that economic growth.
“The aviation sector is particularly important,” he adds. “The infrastructure that you see today within Abu Dhabi Airports’ territory is one example that will enable the government to deliver its vision as planned.”
I put it to His Excellency that an airport is one of the highest-profile symbols of a country – the first and last impression for visitors and invariably one of the most visible and impressive pieces of infrastructure.
“It is,” he agrees. “We could have built a simple square airport. But we planned it to reflect our environment through engineering, architecture and art.”
While the airport embraces Abu Dhabi’s proud history and its national attractions and charms, it will also feature state-of-the-art technology, some of it game-changing, he says [see full interview below for more]. Equally, each and every passenger will know that they are in Abu Dhabi when they visit the airport – through the architecture, the art programme, the pier colouring, and the representation of the emirate’s most famous attractions, including the magnificent Sheikh Zayed Mosque. This will be true Sense of Place, not the tokenism that so often passes for the concept, he promises.
“When people arrive at the airport and enter the city, visit the museums and attractions, they will feel that Abu Dhabi is culturally oriented. But if they are simply transferring – to go East or going to Europe, for example – we will also give them some experience of the museum culture. So we’re featuring an artistic interior at the airport with a programme to introduce the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Zayed National Museum and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.”
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His Excellency adds neatly: “We will take some symbols of the city and compress them into a small, beautiful size, and scatter them through our airport. So if you’re, say, a 17 year-old kid travelling to the Middle East and the night before you’ve googled the Louvre, the Guggenheim or Sheikh Zayed Mosque, you’ll know when you arrive at the airport that you are in Abu Dhabi. And we want to deliver that.
“We will also will display great paintings. You will remember this airport! You will see a nice collection of arts”¦ both classical and contemporary. We would like to satisfy all tastes.
“The airport, as you see, is shaped as an “˜X’. Each pier will have a colour that reflects different aspects of the environment [see main Q&A below for details]. I just cannot wait to open it!
“What you see today is really the beginning of the beginning. This is a major infrastructure and you will see an expansion of the satellites. We will deliver the consumer something that they will love.
“The commercial revenue will be used to fund the operation and maybe future expansion. We are going to partner with lead companies of the duty free world to make sure that products get to the airport as soon as they are off of the production line. And with food it’s the same thing”¦ a good experience with many good restaurants.”
Many duty free shops around the world look the same. What’s going to be so different about Abu Dhabi?
“As I mentioned, we will be partnering with leading suppliers to make sure that once a product is introduced in London or Paris, it hits our airport,” His Excellency replies. “We don’t want to give customers a product that lags by one month.
“So the duty free service providers we are going to partner with are important. We want to offer a good experience, good products and good brands. We will introduce, for example, shops that you will see for the first time in airport.”
Abu Dhabi Airports challenged bidders to raise the retail bar? Did the winning offers truly deliver? “They have indeed,” His Excellency replies with a smile. “With Aer Rianta and Lagardère Capital”¦ we are confident that these two will deliver on their numbers, while their presentations look fantastic. If we can deliver 95% of that, I think we’ll deliver a great experience for people.
Abu Dhabi Airports challenged bidders to “tear up the rule book”; Abu Dhabi Airports Chairman His Excellency Ali Majed Al Mansoori says they lived up to the challenge |
“As I say, we will deliver the consumer something that they will love”¦ it’s a mixture of engineering and art and architecture. Its size itself, some 700,000 square meters, tells a story in itself. It will give people a good perception about the infrastructure of Abu Dhabi. But t government is taking its time to deliver this. There is no hurry. We have hundreds of years ahead of us, so we are selective.”
As a passionate artist himself (he has painted still objects in oil since he was a boy) H.E. Ali Majed Al Mansoori is proud of the opportunity to showcase great art at the Midfield Terminal Building. More than that, he is genuinely excited about the prospect of creating a truly world-leading airport in the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
“I would like this airport to distinguish itself from other airports by the product offer; by the way it looks; by its size and, most importantly, by the happiness and the positive energy that people will have – either people who are traveling or people who are working in the airport,” he says.
“This is my dream. And we’ll tell people “˜Welcome to Abu Dhabi.’ ”
A bird’s eye view of the stunning core retail area |
QUESTION AND ANSWER
Your Excellency, I visited the Midfield Terminal Building earlier this week. It’s an extraordinary project, and a pivotal part of the government’s Economic Vision 2030 programme in which aviation is identified as a key enabler for economic growth. In that context, how important is the new terminal to Abu Dhabi’s economic and touristic development?
The Midfield Terminal Building is vital to enable the diversification of the emirate’s economy, by fostering growth in other industries through increased connectivity, and for developing tourism by increasing the overall capacity of the airport, allowing more airlines and more passengers to use our facilities.
Once the MTB is open, Abu Dhabi International will be able to accommodate up to 45 million passengers per year. The scale and ambition of the Midfield Terminal is a very strong statement of intent in terms of differentiation. It will revolutionise air travel in the region. Its ultra-modern design and systems will make the customer experience one of the best in the world.
Operating such an outstanding facility will be a step further for Abu Dhabi Airports’ vision of being the world’s leading airports group, and supporting Abu Dhabi’s vision to become a global transportation hub.
Tell us about the importance of consumer services & commercial revenues to Abu Dhabi Airports and to the new airport?
There is distinct difference yet a direct correlation between consumer services and commercial revenues, both of which are critical to Abu Dhabi Airports and obviously the MTB. We have produced strong growth across our commercial revenues over the past five years and the MTB represents a step change for us to further drive our revenue growth.
The scale of the terminal will enable us to maximise retail and F&B offerings, with every category and sub-category having the space allocated to give an exceptional offer and experience for our customers, whilst enabling our revenue to grow accordingly.
Our consumer services focus on ensuring we provide a world-class customer experience across every touch point within the passenger’s journey. The customer experience is at the heart of our DNA.
What will make the duty free offer so special?
We launched the RFP process 18 months ago and set the industry a challenge to come up with proposal submissions that capture the essence of Arabian hospitality combined with innovative retail execution that would raise AUH’s customer offer and experience to a new level.
We want the customer experience to be at the heart of everything, with the latest technologies, world-class levels of service, and interactive experiences.
Those bids have all now been evaluated and they were outstanding, exceeding our expectations and providing innovations that have never been seen before in a retail environment.
The Midfield Terminal will transform aviation in the emirate |
We’ve heard a lot about the “˜wow’ factor for the MTB. Certainly the architecture delivers that. Can the customer experience deliver it too?
The MTB will set new trends in airport architecture, smart technology and customer experience. It will be an airport terminal like nothing that has been seen before.
Along with this outstanding architecture will be a sensational customer experience. New technology and innovation are at the heart of every aspect of the Midfield Terminal: its design, its construction and its fit-out.
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“My vision is to deliver an amazing gateway to the capital of our great nation, the United Arab Emirates, and our home – Abu Dhabi“ |
H.E. Ali Majed Al Mansoori Chairman Abu Dhabi Airports |
The Midfield Terminal Building will be a “˜Smart Airport’, so there are lots of innovative ideas currently in development that we will be able to reveal in detail at a later stage. We want the customer experience to be as smooth and hassle-free as possible by applying the most modern and cutting-edge technology available.
New check-in systems will be in place that automatically verify all types of boarding cards, including mobile and those printed at home, improving passenger processing and waiting times. At immigration passengers will swipe their hand and be good to go – more efficient than eye scans.
Luggage will be transported on new tote-based baggage handling system, which can process over 19,000 bags an hour – the first tote-based system of its kind in the region. Each bag will have its own tray and barcode, reducing risk of bags getting lost.
What about the retail experience? Will technology play a big role there too in the MTB?
Retailers who submitted bids to operate the commercial concessions were encouraged to put technology at the heart of their proposals. All submissions included state-of-the-art technology that is largely unique and innovative, that will enhance the passenger journey and offer an interactive experience, including some world firsts. I encourage you to watch this space for some real surprises!
“˜Sense of Place’ is a much talked-about concept in the airport sector. But comparatively few airports actually deliver it. How will the passenger know he/she is in the Arab world, in the UAE, in Abu Dhabi?
The MTB will offer passengers a taste of Abu Dhabi and what the emirate has to offer. We will make transfer passengers want to come back here and stay for a holiday.
The MTB is seeking to create a “˜Sense of Purpose’ and “˜Sense of Place’ that will invite passengers to come to know Abu Dhabi’s rich cultural heritage, evolving traditions, and inspirations for a sustainable and exciting future.
Themes related to the sea, the oasis, the desert and the city of Abu Dhabi itself will reflect the legacy and spirit of a city and nation evolving from modest beginnings to inspirational affluence, growth and global influence.
At the heart of everything will be our Arabian hospitality – making the MTB stand out from any other airport experience. For example, there will be dedicated space for an Arabian Souk, traditional Arabian delicacies on offer, and a multitude of local brands covering a large spectrum of products, from food to fragrance.
Abu Dhabi International Airport’s growth is fundamentally linked to that of your national carrier, Etihad. How closely do the two organisations work together to help deliver each other’s ambitions?
Etihad is one of the fastest-growing airlines in the world. Thanks to that exponential growth and increase in equity partners we are able to offer our services to a wider spectrum of airlines, such as Jet Airways, Air Serbia, Air Berlin and Alitalia – giving us greater exposure to more passengers around the world, who will either visit or transit through Abu Dhabi.
Etihad are a strategic partner and we are totally aligned on delivering world-class services, both in the sky and on the ground.
It all sounds fantastically ambitious. So, if I asked you to sum up your vision for what the MTB will be, what would you say?
To deliver an amazing gateway to the capital of our great nation, the United Arab Emirates, and our home – Abu Dhabi.
