In full flight: Elena Sorlini

Honoring the past while embracing the future is a challenge akin to walking a tightrope. But when Abu Dhabi Airports unveiled Terminal A at Zayed International Airport in November 2023, it appeared to have perfected this delicate balance.

While the airport’s design incorporated the geometric patterns of the emirate’s Islamic heritage and its new name honored the United Arab Emirates’ founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the gleaming, modern terminal undoubtedly offered a glimpse of the future.

Serving up to 45 million passengers annually, Terminal A has doubled the airport’s previous capacity. Brought to life using a digital-first approach, the new facility offers a number of state-of-the-art facilities, which have been carefully devised to enhance both the comfort and the experience of leisure and business passengers. These include luxury lounges, spa facilities and relaxation zones.

The opening is a milestone that stands out above the rest for Abu Dhabi Airports Managing Director and CEO Elena Sorlini, who has accomplished more than most during her 20-year career working in aviation.

"Inaugurating the new terminal was a truly momentous achievement – a testament to Abu Dhabi’s ambition and commitment to creating a world-class gateway to the world," she tells The CEO Magazine.

"The quality perceived by our passengers is a major achievement for all the team; it’s rewarding seeing the positive feedback of the people traveling through Zayed International Airport."

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Even more satisfying for Sorlini is the incredible sense of purpose generated by such projects.

"Aviation has the power to connect people and cultures, to bridge continents and open up new possibilities," she reflects.

"Being part of an organization that is shaping the future of this dynamic industry, building something truly exceptional here in Abu Dhabi, is incredibly rewarding. And knowing that our work has a direct and visible impact on the lives of millions of travelers each year is a feeling that never gets old."

The necessary expertise

Sorlini started her career in aviation at Aeroporti di Roma where she worked as a shareholder’s representative for Macquarie Airports.

"I then moved to London, where I was in charge of coordinating Macquarie Airports’ European portfolio strategy," she reveals.

In 2011, she moved to Copenhagen Airports, spending seven years in the Danish capital as Strategy Director before moving to the Sultanate of Oman in 2018 to take up the Vice President of Strategic Planning role with Oman Aviation Group.

From there, her career path took her to Abu Dhabi in 2021 to start work with ADQ, the investment and holding company charged with accelerating the transformation of the emirate. Through its strategic investments in assets from ports to airlines, ADQ is playing a vital role in deepening Abu Dhabi’s connectivity with the rest of the world.

"My role, as Director of the Aviation cluster in ADQ, put me in charge of coordinating the development and implementation of a strategy to support the tourism and trade sectors of Abu Dhabi as part of ADQ’s remit in advancing Abu Dhabi’s aviation sector," Sorlini explains.

"At that time, due to the complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic, the passengers going through Zayed International Airport were less than one million in the first quarter of 2021; Etihad was going through a deep restructuring process, and we were in the process of carving out the aviation services from Etihad to create independent companies that could serve at best all the airlines at the airport.

"Furthermore, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi and Air Arabia Abu Dhabi were in their startup phase."

With the international airport always the key to Abu Dhabi’s aviation strategy, it was inevitable that Sorlini would focus much of her energy there. Designed to offer both passengers and airlines a superior product, the airport also aimed to unlock capacity and drive more traffic to Abu Dhabi.

After demonstrating her abundant capabilities and backed by 20 years of experience across various facets of the aviation industry, Sorlini took on the role of Abu Dhabi Airports interim Managing Director and CEO in June 2023, and was confirmed to the position in February this year.

"Moving from ADQ to the airport has been a natural step for me to make sure that the strategy could be implemented in the best possible way," she says. "And after three years we can see the results, with Abu Dhabi Airports’ traffic expected to reach 29 million passengers this year."

That figure represents a dramatic increase on pre-pandemic figures, with 21.7 million passengers recorded in 2019, clearly showing that things are moving in the right direction.

A bigger vision

These numbers signal the realization of the opportunities Sorlini identified when she first came on board – to unlock the untapped potential of Abu Dhabi’s tourism and trade by leveraging on the activation of a brand-new terminal coming online, the emirate’s strategic location and its hunger for innovation.

"My focus was clear: capitalize on these assets to create a seamless, world-class passenger experience that would solidify Abu Dhabi’s position as a global aviation hub," she reveals.

This has been achieved by placing the passenger experience at the forefront of everything Abu Dhabi Airports does, according to Sorlini. A dedicated team of experts works tirelessly to explore and implement the latest technologies to simultaneously enhance operational efficiency and offer a truly personalized passenger journey within a smart airport environment.

"It is not enough to simply process travelers; we want to delight them at every touchpoint," she stresses. "This means investing in cutting-edge technology like biometrics to streamline the journey, creating a sense of place that celebrates Abu Dhabi’s unique culture and heritage and ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience from arrival to departure."

Already, the airport has introduced biometrics across five touchpoints with plans to become the first airport in the world to offer all nine biometric touchpoints by 2025.

"Our commitment to biometrics exemplifies this forward-thinking spirit and has been a key differentiator for us in what is otherwise a very competitive landscape," Sorlini says.

Other triumphs include the activation of a meet and greet team to welcome and support passengers and the opening of 165 brand new food and beverage and retail units, with an impressive range of local and international offerings.

On top of that, the airport has seen the opening of three lounges – the Etihad Lounge, Pearl Lounge and Diamond Lounge – as well as terminal activations featuring entertainment and offers to encourage passengers to try out any new concepts. The airport has also been adapted to be an inclusive and accessible airport for all passengers. Zayed International Airport was recently awarded an Accessibility Enhancement Accreditation by the Airport Council International.

From an infrastructure perspective, initiatives include the resurfacing of the Northern runway, which was completed ahead of schedule, along with the opening of a new United States Customs & Border Protection facility, positioning Abu Dhabi as the only airport in the Middle East and Asia where passengers can experience the unparalleled convenience of pre-clearing United States immigration before departure. Once stateside, they are processed as domestic travelers without the need to queue.

"This facility strengthens our ambition to be a leading travel hub, offering passengers a distinctive travel experience that is unparalleled in our region," Sorlini says.

It’s clearly been a busy few months with many crucial strides made, and while the opening of Terminal A has certainly been a career high for Sorlini, so too is the traffic growth currently underway which makes Zayed International Airport the fastest growing airport by international seat capacity in the region.

More than just numbers, these statistics are clear evidence of the vast potential of Abu Dhabi and made possible by the combined efforts of the Abu Dhabi Airports team and its key stakeholders, among them the Department of Municipalities and Transport, Department of Economic Development, Department of Culture and Tourism and the United Arab Emirates’ three national carriers.

Connecting people

It is the power of such collaboration that Sorlini believes will continue driving Abu Dhabi Airports toward its goals.

"As Managing Director and CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports, I believe my role is first and foremost to empower my team and make sure that within the aviation ecosystem we all work as one team," she says. "This includes government stakeholders, airlines, ground handling companies, concessionaires and the airport itself.

"We are all intricately connected and need to operate as an orchestrated and cohesive unit, aligned on a single purpose, which is to unlock the growth potential of Abu Dhabi’s trade and tourism and position the emirate as a global aviation leader."

Culture is therefore a critical part of Abu Dhabi Airports’ formula for success. Sorlini is proud to champion a strong, positive culture built on a set of core values that influence everything that takes place within the organization.

"We encourage open communication, empower our team members to take ownership and celebrate both individual and collective achievements," she confirms.

It is this ability to inspire a shared vision and empower people to make it a reality that characterizes Sorlini’s leadership style.

"A true leader provides direction, removes obstacles and creates an environment where everyone feels valued, respected and motivated to do their best work," she explains. "It is not about having all the answers; it’s about asking the right questions, listening actively and fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement."

After all, as Sorlini points, at the end of the day, the aviation industry is all about people.

"It is about connecting people to places, to experiences, to each other. And it is about the dedicated individuals who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make those connections possible," she says.

"I am incredibly proud to lead a team of passionate aviation professionals at Abu Dhabi Airports, with amazing Emirati talent at the heart of our operations. I believe that together, we are building something truly special – an airport that not only serves as a gateway to the world but also leaves a lasting legacy of innovation, excellence and commitment to the passenger experience."