Thursday, Jul 30, 2015

Dubai: Abu Dhabi International, the hub for rapidly expanding Etihad Airways, posted on Thursday a 10.8 per cent increase in June passenger numbers.

The airport handled 1,848,080 passengers last month compared to the 1,667,551 it handled in the same month a year ago, according to an emailed statement from operator Abu Dhabi Airports.

The number of aircraft landings and take-offs increased 13.8 per cent to 14,417 from 12,667 last year. The amount of cargo handled at the airport increased to 72,949 tonnes, up 8 per cent from 67,537 tonnes.

June’s figures take the airports half-year passengers numbers to 11,111,577, which is 17.2 per cent more than the 9,481,744 passengers that used the airport in the first six months of 2014.

Over the same period, aircraft landings and take-offs have increased to 84,938, up 15 per cent from 73,862 and the amount of cargo handled has risen to 414,203 tonnes, 9.6 per cent more than the 377,885 it handled from January to the end of June 2014.

Abu Dhabi Airports Chief Executive Mohammad Mubarak Al Mazrouei said the half year in passenger traffic is “very encouraging.”

“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,” he said.

Six new routes were added from Abu Dhabi International in the first half of the year; Madrid in Spain, Pune in India, Edinburgh in the United Kingdom, Venice in Italy and Entebbe in Uganda.

Staff Report

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