Abu Dhabi is well-connected to 57 cities across the world by 26 international airlines. Located 35 km from the city centre on the mainland, the Abu Dhabi International Airport has world class facilities which are being further upgraded and expanded to cater to 20 million passengers by 2010.

There are three terminals at the Abu Dhabi International Airport, the third having been pressed into operation as late as October 2008. A number of west-bound and Middle Eastern airlines operate from Terminal 1, including British Airways, Lufthansa, Egypt Air and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Airlines operating from Terminal 2 include Air India, Pakistan International Airlines and Yemenia.

There are eight flights flying out to the US from Abu Dhabi every week, while Gulf Air and Etihad Airways fly daily from London. Non-stop flying time between the two cities is seven hours. Etihad will operate daily flights to Melbourne, Australia from Abu Dhabi from March 2009 onwards.

The flying time to various cities from Abu Dhabi is as follows:

Brisbane, Australia - 18 hrs
Delhi, India – 3.5 hrs
Doha - 25 minutes
Edmonton, Canada - 14 hrs
Frankfurt, Germany – 6.5 hrs
Mumbai, India – 3 hrs
New York, US – 15 hrs
Paris, France – 7 hrs
Rome, Italy – 6 hrs
Singapore – 8 hrs
Sydney, Australia – 16 hrs
Tokyo, Japan – 11 hrs

GCC citizens entering Abu Dhabi do not need a visa, while citizens of 33 countries are eligible for a free Visit Visa. The countries are UK, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, Finland, Malta, Spain, Monaco, Vatican, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Etihad Airways is the official national carrier of the emirate of Abu Dhabi. It connects the city to 48 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, the Indian subcontinent, USA, Canada, South and East Asia, Africa and Australia. The Etihad Airways Head Office is located on

New Airport Road, Abu Dhabi
Tel: +971 2 505 8000
Fax: +971 2 505 8111

Taxicabs operate from the airport to the city as well as the neighbouring towns. Bus services are also available at a frequency of 20 minutes.

Airlines operating out of Abu Dhabi can be contacted at:

Air India - Bader Tower, Airport Road, Abu Dhabi T: 02 6334766F: 02 6327376 http://www.airindia.com
Biman Bangladeshi Airlines - Sheikh Zayed 2nd Street (Electra Street), Bldg No. 5213, Abu Dhabi T: 02 6342597F: 02 6344664 http://www.bimanair.com
British Airways - Omeir Bin Youssef Bldg, Airline Towers, 1st Flr, Khalifa Street, Abu Dhabi T: 02 6224540F: 02 6227205 http://www.britishairways.com
China Airlines - Al Saman Tower Building, Hamdan Street. Lulu Street, Abu Dhabi T: 02 6264070F: 02 6264179 http://www.china-airlines.com
Emirates - Sheikh Mohammad Bin Khaled Al Nahyan Building, Corniche Road, Abu Dhabi T: 02 6911300F: 02 6911611 http://www.emirates.com
Japan Airlines - Sheikh Ahmed Bin Rasheed Al Maktoum Road, P.O. Box 7880, Dubai T: 04 2281777F: 04 2230534 http://www.jal.com
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines - Bader Tower, Corniche Street, Abu Dhabi T: 02 6338700F: 02 6347656 http://www.klm.ae
Lufthansa - Al Suwaidi Building, No. 1, Al Muroor Road, Abu Dhabi T: 02 6394640F: 02 6394618 http://www.uae.lufthansa.com
Abu Dhabi Airlines (Abu Dhabi) - Omeir Tower Mezzanine, 02 Sheikh Khalifa Street, Abu Dhabi T: 02 6221110F: 02 6225353 http://www.abudhabiair.com
Swiss International Airlines - Epico Building, Liwa Street, P.O. Box 47077, Abu Dhabi T: 02 6225500F: 02 6225912 http://www.swiss.com

Regional tourists may also choose to reach Abu Dhabi city either by sea or road. Dubai is within a driving distance of 125 km.

Abu Dhabi's port is located at Mina Zayed. It is a sheltered deep-water port. Forty km from here, a second port at the Khalifa Industrial City in Taweelah will be operational by 2010. Apart from the heavy cargo that the port handles, short distance cruises also operate along the coastline.

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