Abu Dhabi International Airport sees increase in passenger traffic

The airport’s latest passenger statistics show that in the first half of 2014, a total of 9,481,744 passengers passed through Abu Dhabi International Airport, compared with 7,941,922 in the equivalent period in 2013. The number of aircraft movements rose to 73,862, representing 11.8% growth compared with 65,072 aircraft movements reported in H1 2013. Cargo activity in the first six months of the year comprised 377,885 tonnes handled at the three terminals, representing a 16% increase when compared to the first half of 2013. The month of June alone saw 1,667,551 passengers, an increase of 21.4% compared with June 2013 (1,374,076 passengers). 

Ahmad Al Haddabi, chief operations officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “Almost 10 million passengers passed through Abu Dhabi International Airport in the first six months of 2014 and it is reasonable to expect that number to be exceeded in the second half of the year.  More and more people are choosing Abu Dhabi as a final destination or transit point and this is supported by the increased flight connectivity available at Abu Dhabi International Airport. We have always been aware of this continuing trend, and have anticipated its impact. Accordingly, we have invested considerable effort and resource in ensuring that the passenger experience at Abu Dhabi International Airport is always of the highest quality by increasing capacity and offering a broader range of services.”  

Overall, during the first six months of 2014, the top five routes from Abu Dhabi International Airport were Bangkok, Manila, Doha, Jeddah and London Heathrow. During the period, several new destinations were added to Abu Dhabi International Airport’s network, including Los Angeles, Zurich and Jaipur.

Analyst Saj Ahmad said: “Abu Dhabi Airport is leveraging the continued strength of Etihad Airways' global expansion and a sharp 20% rise in traffic so far in 2014 demonstrates the robustness of demand despite ever present regional turmoil. 

“The UAE has become a true global aviation nexus for travel and the onset of the new Midfield Terminal in 2017 will allow Etihad to grow even faster and use the strength of its connections to other airlines like Alitalia, Jet Airways, Air Berlin and others to filter more traffic into Abu Dhabi and beyond.” 

Ahmad added: “With a strong summer season, Abu Dhabi International can look to set another record-breaking year for passenger traffic - validating its regional and international importance.”