Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) and Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company have announced the opening of Abu Dhabi International Airport Expo check-in at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) capable of handling both passenger and full baggage check-in.

The facility is the only fully operational airport check-in facility to be operated in an exhibition centre in the Middle East, and was inaugurated today by Huraiz Al Mur Bin Huraiz, Chief Commercial Officer of ADAC and Humaid Al Dhaheri, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer of Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company.

The new Abu Dhabi International Airport Expo Check-in, which replaces the hand-baggage only counter that has existed at ADNEC since 2008, is the second city check-in facility for ADAC in operation; ADAC also operates Abu Dhabi International Airport City Check-in located in the Tourist Club Area near Abu Dhabi Mall.  The Expo Check-In will initially serve passengers of Etihad Airways, Gulf Air, Egypt Air, Air India, Air India Express, Pakistan International Airlines, Sudan Airways and Jet Airways, with more airlines expected to be added throughout the course of the year.  Passengers will be able to book their Golden Class services from this new facility and will be offered ‘left-luggage’ service, which will be available to all visitors at ADNEC, providing storage for hand and other luggage.

“The opening of the newAbu Dhabi International Airport Expo Check-in underscores the company’s ongoing commitment to service excellence”, said Huraiz Al Mur Bin Huraiz, Chief Commercial Officer of ADAC.

“ADNEC is already well recognized by both residents and visitors to the UAE capital; a number of leading hotels and tourist attractions are close by, and the venue itself receives thousands of overseas visitors each year. We are confident that the availability of this second check-in facility within Abu Dhabi city will be very well received and will provide great ease-of-use for our passengers,” added Huraiz.

Welcoming ADAC’s move ADNEC’s Chief Sales & Marketing Officer Humaid Al Dhaheri, said: “We are constantly looking at ways to enhance the attractiveness of our venue to ensure that we retain our enviable position as one of the world’s leading event destinations. The introduction of ADAC’s comprehensive check-in facilities at ADNEC provides fantastic convenience and further augments our status as a location that’s growing in significance with each passing year“.

Passengers travelling from Abu Dhabi International Airport can check-in at the counters located on the ground floor of the exhibition centre near Abu Dhabi Hall, within 4 to 24 hours prior to departure. Initially three counters will be in operation 24/7, with each counter capable of handling approximately 25 passenger check-ins per hour. Two counters can further be added-on at a later stage based on passenger flow.

Besides attendees to the growing number of events hosted at ADNEC, the new service is expected to be used extensively by guests at the Aloft Abu Dhabi hotel and the 5-Star Hyatt Capital Gate, both of which are inter-connected with ADNEC. A number of other hotels and embassies located in the immediate vicinity of ADNEC, as well as residents of the area, also stand to benefit.

Aloft Abu Dhabi, has introduced a number of launch offers, valid until 30 June 2011, for passengers using the Expo Check-in facility. These include free valet parking during the check-in period, discounts on F&B, pool/gym and laundry as well as special room rates for the day of check-in / departure.