New images have been released ahead of the closing date for the core duty-free concession tender Abu Dhabi Airports has released new images of the new Midfield Terminal Building (MTB) as its board of directors carried out a site visit ahead of the closing date for the core duty-free concession tender at the end of March.  The tour,  led by Abu Dhabi Airports chairman H.E. Ali Majed Al Mansoori and included members of the board, members from the company’s executive and project team, reviewed the progress made on the future gateway to the capital city. Documents issued for the duty-free tender were delayed until November last year due to enforced changes to the security layout for transfer passengers, which  had an impact on the duty-free store designs, senior vice-president for business development Dan Cappell told the Middle East and Africa Duty Free Association conference in Dubai. The majority of the world’s major retailers have been preparing bids for the concession at the terminal, which is due to open in 2017.   Steel works at the Midfield Terminal’s four piers are now 99% complete. Al Mansoori said: “The year 2015 is destined to be a defining year for Abu Dhabi Airports. Last year Abu Dhabi International airport registered 20% increase in traffic, which translated into 20m passengers passing through its terminals. In 2015 we will witness further growth with a record 24m passengers forecasted to pass through Abu Dhabi International Airport. In parallel, the Midfield Terminal Building will register the achievement of several key milestones this year as the building structure takes its eventual form.” He added: “Our Board of Directors and I wanted to start this year by observing the remarkable progress being made in the delivery of this iconic building and, as always, I am proud of what we have witnessed. With 99% of steel works completed on all four piers, the building structure has become a visible landmark from the air and the ground, for both passengers flying in and out of Abu Dhabi as well as residents driving by. This achievement has allowed us to start the building enclosure around the piers, which will enable the building structure to take its final shape during the course of 2015.” The MTB has four piers that accommodate 65 stands in total. The longest pier stretches over 500m with all four piers using a total of 13,300 tonnes of steel. The building enclosure includes the glass works for the curtain walling and roofing works, which will consume 175,000sq m of glass for the curtain walling and 260,000sq m of aluminium for the roof. The airport operator stated the MTB will house the latest technologies available worldwide, including a tote-based baggage handling system (BHS) that is capable of handling 19,000 bags per hour. “The MTB is the cornerstone of a broader plan to transform Abu Dhabi International airport and accomplish our aim of becoming a global transportation hub. As it continues to take shape, with evidence of progress visible on a daily basis, the achievement of that objective draws ever closer. More and more people are choosing Abu Dhabi as their preferred location for business, holidays and transit and we are determined to ensure that their experience when they arrive and depart more than meets the standards the modern traveller has come to expect” Al Mansoori concluded.