Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH  IATA) is in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

Understand

Serving more than 24 million passengers in 2016, the international airport of Abu Dhabi is the second busiest in the United Arab Emirates. Like the busiest, Dubai International Airport, and Hamad International Airport in Doha, it's an important traffic node between Europe, Asia and Africa. It's the home base of Etihad Airways, one of the Gulf carriers – i.e., airlines in the region whose business model largely consists of flying mid- or long-haul flights with large aircraft and a considerable number of passengers transiting in Abu Dhabi rather than having it as their departure point or final destination.

Terminals

The airport is separated into Terminal 1 (the original terminal), Terminal 3 (mostly dedicated to Etihad Airways), and a smaller Terminal 2.

🌍 Terminal 1 provides a slightly dingy appearance and a spectacularly bizarre blue-lime tiled mushroom canopy that awaits you at the gates.

🌍 Terminal 2 has no aerobridges, relying on buses to take passengers to and from their planes.

🌍 Terminal 3 is much newer and has improved shopping and gate access.

A fourth major terminal, the 🌍 Midfield Terminal, is planned. When it opens it will become one of the world's largest airport terminals with a floor area of 735,000 m², and increase the airport's capacity to more than 30 million passengers a year. There are even plans for further extensions increasing the capacity up to 80 million yearly passengers.

Flights

Etihad Airways is by far the largest operator at the airport, flying to airports in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania. The airport and airline was among the few with flights to all six inhabited continents, until they stopped services to São Paulo in 2017. Other than that, AUH is mostly served by Middle Eastern and South Asian airlines, in addition to a couple European ones.

WizzAir has considerably disrupted the flight market with intercontinental flights from €30. They have flights to Europe, Africa and Asia. If you are somewhat flexible in your travel, you can get an 3–6-hr flight for a very low fare. The flights (as of August 2021) depart from Italy, Greece, Poland, Hungary, Egypt, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Oman, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Israel, Armenia, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Cyprus. The airline has high growth ambitions so further destinations will be added soon.

Ground transportation

Terminal 2 at night

By taxi

Al Ghazal taxis travel to the city at a flat rate of 75 dirham and take around 40 minutes.

Metered taxis are now allowed to pick up passengers at the airport. A trip into Abu Dhabi city center will cost 60-70 dirham. Metered taxis can also bring passengers to the airport. The taxi stand is at the end of a long walkway from the main terminal. Passengers must turn left when leaving the arrivals area and travel through a long passageway to the curb area, where a covered platform next to the taxi stand is provided. Expect long lines at the taxi stand during the evening and late night hours.

By bus

  • City center – Public bus routes A1 and A2 head to the city 24/7 every 30 min. The A1 bus goes to the city air terminal in Al Zahiya and the A2 bus terminates at the intersection of Khalifa Str and Shk Zayed Str in Al Dana. It costs about 4 dirham to central Abu Dhabi (2.00 dirham base fare + 0.05 dirham per km). No tickets are sold on the bus, you need to purchase the Hafilat Smart Card (the card itself costs 10 dirham) from the ticket vending machine or public transport counter in the arrivals hall—also see Abu Dhabi#By bus 2.
  • Zayed Grand Mosque – There is also a free A18 minibus (no Hafilat card required) departing hourly 08:00–22:00 from the airport and going directly to the Zayed Grand Mosque and continuing to ADNEC (Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre), which is a good choice when you have a long layover during the day and just want to visit the Zayed Grand Mosque for free. All public buses (A1, A2 and A18) leave from the lower level (arrivals) outside T3.
  • Dubai and Dubai Airport – There is an airport express bus that runs outside of Terminal 3 (passing by Terminal 2) and connects to Ibn Battatu (Mall) in southern Dubai, from where you can catch the metro (red) into Dubai and until Dubai airport (DXB). The express bus is 35 dirham and the ticket can be bought cash or with card inside the terminal—the other way around (from Ibn Battatu) the driver will only accept cash. The express bus runs 24/7 every full hour from either end. For connections in Dubai see Dubai#Get around.
Unfortunately, coming from Abu Dhabi Airport, you cannot use the E102 bus of Dubai Roads and Transport Authority, because you will require a nol card to do so—these however are only available in Dubai. But if you want to go from Dubai to Abu Dhabi Airport, you get the nol card first and then take E102 from Ibn Battatu (Mall) or Al Jafiliya Bus Station.
  • Sharjah and Sharjah Airport – There are two options. 1) You again take the airport express bus outside of Terminal 3 to Ibn Battatu (Mall) in southern Dubai—35 dirham with cash or card inside the terminal. From there, on platform 4 (Ibn Battatu) a bus connects to Sharjah downtown and Al Jubail Bus Station—15 dirham, cash only. And from Al Jubail Bus Station there is a bus to the airport—10 dirham, cash only. The other ways around, Sharjah Airport to Abu Dhabi Airport, it means all is cash only, 60 dirham all together.
2) Or you go to Abu Dhabi Bus Station first using the Hafilat Smart Card—see above (even though the 10 dirham surcharge for the Smart Card does not justify this route, but there might be a single journey option available, check the machine in Terminal 3). And from there, there is a direct bus to Al Jubail Bus Station in Sharjah (price 40-50 dirham, probably cash only), from where you take the airport bus again.

Check the according transportation websites for the relevant schedules:

Also, Google Maps is good in suggesting connections.

By airline shuttle

If you are flying on Etihad, Emirates or some partner airlines, complimentary shuttle buses are provided at regular intervals to Dubai and Al Ain (you should book these at least 24 hours in advance through this site). These depart from the main car park at the front of the airport, by the car hire offices: follow the Etihad Shuttle signs. In Dubai, you can also check in at the Etihad Travel Centre, that is close to Noor Bank station.

By limousine service

Etihad first and business class passengers can avail complimentary Mercedes chauffeur service under similar conditions as the bus from this link to/from anywhere in the UAE.

Get around

It is possible to walk between the terminals. Terminal 1 and 3 are in practice two halves of one big building, both are connected in the inner as well as outer terminal area. Terminal 2 is about 2 km (1.2 mi) southeast of Terminal 1.

Wait

The main hall of Terminal 1

In case you arrive late or too early, you can head into the transit area where there are some more comfortable chairs than the regular ones—you might believe all are taken but there is a lower level with more. It is not an issue to stay over night and in the morning to seek your way back to the exit and passport/immigration control. This however only works if you do not have any checked-in luggage, because the baggage claim is after immigration, and in arrivals (or departures for that matter) there isn't much to feel comfortable with.

  • 🌍 Al Ghazal Golf Club (in the airport area (landside) about 1 km from each terminal). 18-hole golf course, open to members and non-members. You can rent equipment and they also offer golf instruction. There are also tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, a cricket field and conference room. (updated Dec 2020)
  • There are four spa areas; Six Senses Spa in the Etihad Diamond First and Pearl Business Class lounges, and TOSA SPA in terminal 1 and Skypark Plaza (across the street from terminal 3)

Eat and drink

Buy

Toys and souvenirs at a shop

Connect

The airport offers free Wi-Fi and Internet kiosks.

Cope

Terminal 3 features a United States border pre-clearance facility, meaning that passengers flying to the U.S. will go through the U.S. customs and immigration control before getting on the plane, and will be treated as a domestic passenger upon arrival in the U.S. It is one of just three such airports outside North America (the others are at Dublin and Shannon airports in Ireland).

Sleep

  • 🌍 Aerotel Abu Dhabi (Terminal 1), . A proper hotel in the airport. Aerotel also operates two capsule hotels with "nap cabins" named Refreshh by Aerotel, both in Terminal 3 (one in the transit area, one in the international departures area). (updated Dec 2020)

Nearby


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