Passenger traffic up 17.2% at Abu Dhabi International Airport

Abu Dhabi Airports today reported a 17.2% increase in passenger traffic at Abu Dhabi International Airport during the first half of 2015 (1st January to 30th June), as compared to the same period for last year.

A total of 11,111,577 passengers passed through Abu Dhabi International Airport, compared with 9,481,744 in the equivalent period in 2014. The number of aircraft movements during the six months rose to 84,938, representing 15.0% growth compared with 73,862 aircraft movements reported last year. Cargo activity in the first six months of the year comprised 414,203 tons handled, representing a 9.6% increase when compared to the first half of 2014. The month of June alone saw 1,848,080 passengers, an increase of 10.8% as compared with June 2014 (1,667,551 passengers).

Commenting on the half year traffic report, Mohamed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Chief Executive Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, said, "It is very encouraging to see a constant increase in passenger traffic numbers, despite the challenges it poses. This continuous growth further demonstrates the fact that travellers increasingly see Abu Dhabi both as a destination of choice and as a logical transit point on long journeys. This in turn is further evidence of the airport's rapidly growing status as a vital global transportation hub. The Capacity Enhancement Programme, which is helping us address the more immediate demands of the passenger growth, is on track as part of our commitment to deliver to our promise and present a unique travel experience, through implementing innovative solutions."

Several new destinations were added during the six months including flights to Madrid, Pune, Edinburgh, Venice and Entebbe. Additionally, the frequency of flights between the existing routes increased significantly. Just last month, the airport announced 271 additional weekly flights for its summer programme.

India retained its top spot as the airport's largest market, and traffic to and from the capital to the subcontinent recorded a 57.8% rise during the six months as compared to last year. Saudi Arabia, Germany, Pakistan and the UK were the next largest in terms of passenger volume to and from Abu Dhabi.