• Home
• /
• Local business

Abu Dhabi Airport First-half Passenger Traffic Rises 8.1pc

DUBAI - Abu Dhabi Airports Company, or ADAC, the operator of the Abu Dhabi International Airport, on Saturday announced an 8.1 per cent increase in passenger traffic growth during the first six months of 2009, compared with the same period a year earlier as airlines added more flights.

Contributing to the traffic growth is the increased services by Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and the recent launch of Abu Dhabi-based carrier Etihad’s services to Athens, Istanbul and Larnaca, the company said in an e-mailed statement.

The airport also recorded a 7.9 per cent increase in passenger traffic for the month of June as on an average 26,966 passengers per day passed through the airport during this month. Aircraft movements in the same month increased by 15.2 per cent, the 
statement said.

Last week, the Middle East’s aviation hub, Dubai International Airport, posted a 10.3 per cent year-on-year increase in passenger traffic in June and a 5 per cent jump in the first six months of the year, compared with the same period 
in 2008.

Passenger traffic in the Middle East and Gulf region has continued to rise, bucking the negative trend for international air travel in many other places. Carriers based in the Middle East saw a 9.5 per cent rise in their passenger volumes in May compared to the same month last year.

Meanwhile, international passenger traffic fell globally by 9.3 per cent in the same month, according to the International Air Transport Association, the main trade group for the world’s full-service airlines.

Mohammed Al Bulooki, Vice-President of Airline Marketing and Aeronautical Revenue at ADAC said, “This year has been a challenging year for the aviation industry. In spite of the current global economic downturn, Abu Dhabi International Airport continues to record growth and defy the negative market trends.”

According to the company, India remained the airport’s largest market and main driver of growth with a 12.5 per cent increase in traffic year-on-year. Pakistan was second with an increase of 7.6 per cent, leaving Saudi Arabia as the airports’ third largest market.

London remained the busiest destination for the airport in June, with a total of 41,748 passengers. In second place came Doha with 34,399 passengers, followed by Bangkok in third with total passenger numbers of 29,930. Jeddah and Manila were the fourth and fifth busiest destinations respectively.

Cargo shipments of Abu Dhabi airport for the month of June also recorded a growth rate of 2.3 per cent to 31,953 tonnes, compared with the same month in 2008 at 31,238 tonnes.

While year-to-date cargo handled at the airport reached 174,587 tonnes compared with 172,762 tonnes, showing a modest rise of 1.1 per cent. 


abdulbasit@khaleejtimes.com