Adia passenger growth up 24.5%

Abu Dhabi Airports Company (Adac) released today the traffic report for Abu Dhabi International Airport (Adia) during the month of February 2012, which indicated a double digit growth in passenger traffic by 24.5 per cent with over one million (1,080,457) passengers passing through the airport for the 8th consecutive month. Aircraft movements also continued to steadily grow with a 3.8 per cent increase for the month of February totalling 9,263 movements. This growth is due to the new destinations for Etihad including the five weekly service to Shanghai in China, and the operation of new airlines including Safi Airways of Afghanistan, which now operates four weekly flights to Kabul. The report also showed that cargo shipments are also on the rise, increasing by 13.2% in comparison with the same period last year, with the airport handling 42,860 tonnes of cargo. Commenting on this strong performance, Eng. Ahmad Al Haddabi, Chief Operating Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), said: "As Etihad Airways adds new routes to its network and more airlines launch services from the airport, Abu Dhabi International Airport will continue to provide convenient and efficient travel choices, along with the award winning world class services to all passengers. The increasing attractiveness of Abu Dhabi as a destination for business and pleasure remains the key factor in this exceptional growth witnessed at the capital's hub, driving continuous flow of passengers through the airport." The top five routes from Abu Dhabi International Airport during February were Doha, which grew by an impressive 32%, leaving Bangkok at number two, followed by Manila, London and Jeddah.