Abu Dhabi private terminals. Land at Al Bateen, and the Corniche is ten to twenty minutes away.
Abu Dhabi is unusual in having an airport given over entirely to business aviation. Al Bateen Executive sits close to the city, and we plan the car around whichever field your operator chooses.
The airfields
Abu Dhabi business aviation, at a glance
- The executive airportAl Bateen Executive (AZI / OMAD)About 12 kilometres from the city centre. Operated by Abu Dhabi Airports as a dedicated business jet airport since 2008, with a single runway of about 3,202 metres.
- The main airportZayed International (AUH / OMAA)Roughly 30 kilometres east of the city. Renamed in February 2024. Private movements here are handled at a separate FBO and VIP terminal rather than through the airline halls.
- CustomsHandled on the private sideAt both fields the formalities for a private arrival are done at the FBO or VIP terminal, not in the main terminal building.
- Which to useYour operator decidesAl Bateen is closer to the city and given over to business aviation. Zayed International suits larger aircraft, long sectors and onward airline connections.
Cars in the Emirates are arranged through operators we know and brief. Odyssey Connections owns and runs its own cars, with its own employed chauffeurs, in London and Manchester, with a trusted global network everywhere else.
The terminals
Who runs what, and where
| Terminal | Where | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Jetex Abu Dhabi | Al Bateen Executive | A private terminal at Al Bateen, published as a 24 hour operation, with customs and immigration, lounges, crew handling and ramp supervision on site. |
| RoyalJet | Zayed International | Operates its own FBO and VIP terminal at the main airport, alongside its charter and aircraft management business. |
| Abu Dhabi Airports | Both fields | The airport operator itself, which runs Al Bateen as a dedicated business aviation airport and the VIP facilities at Zayed International. |
| Other handlers | Al Bateen Executive | Several independent ground handling companies work the ramp at Al Bateen. Which one you meet depends on your operator, not on us. |
The list is not exhaustive and the Gulf handling market moves quickly, so we reconfirm the terminal and the handler for every movement. Odyssey Connections claims no relationship with any of these companies.
Planning it
The airfield you land at decides the rest of the day
Al Bateen is the reason Abu Dhabi is easy. It is close in, it exists for business aviation, and a car that is already standing at the terminal turns an arrival into a ten or fifteen minute run to the Corniche. If the decision is yours to influence, it is usually the right one.
Zayed International is a different proposition. It is a large international airport a good half hour further out, and the private movements there sit inside a much bigger operation. It is the right answer for large aircraft, for long sectors and for anyone connecting onward on a scheduled service, and the VIP terminal is genuinely good. It simply adds road at the near end, and that is worth knowing when a meeting time is fixed.
The third factor is Dubai. A great many Abu Dhabi arrivals are really Dubai arrivals that took the quieter airport, and the drive between the two cities runs to an hour and a quarter in fair conditions and a good deal more at the wrong time. If Dubai is the destination, say so at the enquiry, because Dubai's own airports may be the better answer even though the flight is the same length.
Onward
Typical drive times from Al Bateen
| To | Quiet roads | Busy periods |
|---|---|---|
| The Corniche and the city centre | 10 to 20 minutes | 20 to 30 minutes |
| Saadiyat Island | 20 to 30 minutes | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Yas Island and the circuit | 25 to 40 minutes | Far longer on race weekend |
| Zayed International | 25 to 40 minutes | 40 to 55 minutes |
| Dubai city and the Marina | 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 45 | 2 hours or more |
| Al Maktoum | 1 hour to 1 hour 20 | 1 hour 20 to 1 hour 50 |
Realistic ranges, not promises. The E11 between the two cities is fast and entirely unforgiving of the evening peak and of poor visibility in a sandstorm.
Worth knowing
What to settle before the flight
What an assistant arranging an Abu Dhabi movement has to settle before anything else.
- Give the car the airfield and the terminal, not just the city. Al Bateen and Zayed International are half an hour apart and a driver sent to the wrong one is a lost hour
- Ramp side collection is possible where the terminal and the airport permit it, and is arranged in advance rather than asked for at the steps
- Heat is an operational fact from May to September. The car stands cooled at the terminal rather than circling, and luggage is not left in the sun
- Ask about the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weeks early. Yas Island road closures reshape the whole east of the city and no amount of local knowledge undoes them
- If the real destination is Dubai, tell us at the enquiry. The cross city drive is a serious piece of road and it changes which airport you should be asking your operator for
- If you are arranging the aircraft as well, one enquiry covers both. See private jet charter
Request a quote
Tell us the movement
Date and time, the airfield and terminal, tail number or operator, passengers, luggage and where you are going. We come back with a clear price. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About Abu Dhabi private terminals
Al Bateen or Zayed International?
Al Bateen is closer to the city and exists for business aviation. Zayed International suits larger aircraft, longer sectors and onward scheduled connections. Your operator decides, and we plan the car around their answer.
Can the car meet the aircraft?
Where the terminal and the airport permit it, and arranged in advance. Where they do not, the car waits at the terminal door.
Can you take us on to Dubai?
Yes, and it is a common request. Allow an hour and a quarter in fair conditions and considerably more in the evening peak. See Dubai.
What happens if the slot moves?
We follow the aircraft by tail number and talk to the handler. The car moves with the aircraft rather than waiting to be told.
Are these your own cars?
Our own fleet and our own employed chauffeurs are in London and Manchester, and a trusted global network covers everywhere else. In the Emirates the car comes from an operator we know and brief, and we stay responsible for the arrangement.
We deal with problems before you know they exist