Travellers flying into Abu Dhabi's garden city will notice a change on the departures boards: Al Ain International Airport is now officially Tahnoun International Airport.
The rename was ordered by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and took effect on October 11. It honours the late Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, who served as the Abu Dhabi Ruler's Representative in the Al Ain Region from 1971 until his death in May 2024 — more than five decades in the role, and a position once held by Sheikh Zayed himself before 1966. Sheikh Tahnoun also chaired the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and served as deputy chairman of Abu Dhabi's Executive Council. He's clearly held in high regard around these parts: the Dubai–Al Ain road was already renamed after him back in 2018.
For those flying in, the name swap doesn't change much day to day — the airport opened in 1994 and remains Abu Dhabi emirate's second international airport, with a single terminal and just two scheduled airlines. But change is coming. Officials have announced a full refurbishment of the terminal, including a bigger departure lounge and expanded check-in areas, plus a larger cargo terminal. No dates have been confirmed yet, and new carriers and routes are expected to be added over time, so the airport you fly into in a couple of years may look quite different from today's compact affair.
Al Ain itself is worth more than a stopover. It's the UAE's greenest city, packed with date palm oases, forts and UNESCO-listed archaeological sites, sitting at the foot of Jebel Hafeet near the Omani border. If you're planning a desert escape that trades Dubai's skyline for a slower pace, flying direct into Tahnoun International could be a smart route in — just double-check booking sites and airport codes, since the name change may take a while to filter through everywhere.
