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29 March 2024

Capital air passenger traffic rises

Abu Dhabi Airport (Supplied)

Published
By Wam

Abu Dhabi Airports Company (Adac) on Wednesday said that traffic at Abu Dhabi International Airport increased 15 per cent during the third quarter compared with the same period last year.

Around 3.3 million passengers passed through the capital's airport during the July to September period, surpassing million milestone for the first time for three consecutive months.

In September, a total of 1,086,348 passengers passed through the airport, a double digit increase of 17.1 per cent compared to the same month last year.

The increase in last quarter's passenger traffic was mainly driven by Eid and summer holidays, Umrah, the inauguration of new airlines and the frequency increases and new destinations introduced by most of the carriers at Abu Dhabi International Airport, mainly Etihad Airways.

Cargo volumes presented a parallel growth to that of passenger traffic with a recorded 10.8 per cent increase in the month of September alone, and a further 7 per cent increase over the July- September 2011 period, compared with same periods last year. The recorded increases are a result of the healthy economic growth witnessed in Abu Dhabi along with the increased cargo activity by Etihad Airways.

Ahmad Al Haddabi, Chief Operating Officer at Adac, said: "The passenger activity increases at Abu Dhabi international Airport are certainly a positive economic indicator for the UAE and the region. It is especially encouraging that we are seeing sustained growth throughout the year. We are thrilled with the positive passenger activity results of the third quarter of this year and it is clear that both business and leisure travelers are choosing Abu Dhabi International more and more as their portal to the world."

The comprehensive report produced by Adac included the overall performance of Abu Dhabi international Airport throughout 2011, showing a 13 per cent increase in passenger traffic in the first 9 months compared with the same period last year and registering more than nine million passengers passing through its facilities.

Top five routes in the third quarter of 2011 include London, Bangkok, Doha, Jeddah, and Manila.