Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) announced on 24 September 2008 that Abu Dhabi International Airport (ADIA) has been issued full certification by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). The Certification is in accordance with UAE federal Civil Aviation Regulations, based on the Standards of Annex 14 & 17 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

H.E. Khalifa Al Mazrouei, ADAC Chairman and Managing Director said that the full certification is an essential and significant step forward in ADAC’s campaign to create a world-class gateway for Abu Dhabi. It defines ADIA as one of the safest in the region and reassures the stakeholders that safety is ADAC’s number one priority.

Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority, the agency that licensed the airport said: “The certification of our capital city airport in the midst of a massive redevelopment project, signals a structured and co-operative approach by ADAC and the GCAA to enable our national airport system to operate within the parameters of safe airport operations, an extremely challenging task when our airports are undergoing massive expansions to accommodate the increasing level of aviation movements in the UAE. This is a huge step forward in building a planned national aerospace system.”

The Aerodrome License is issued by the GCAA once an airport fulfils internationally established federal civil aviation requirements, set by ICAO, the United Nations specialized global aviation body responsible for the standardization and regulation of international aviation.