Abu Dhabi International Airport sees 11.7% increase in passenger traffic in first half of 2010

Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) has released Abu Dhabi International Airport's traffic figures for the first six months of 2010, which showed a strong increase of 11.7% in passenger traffic, when compared to the same period last year.

The recent traffic report reflected a growth in cargo performance, with loads increasing by 20.3% and aircraft movements increasing by 11.9% for the first six months of 2010.

The airport’s growth is attributed to the international passenger traffic rebound and is supported by Etihad Airways’ increased frequencies and new destinations, by the new airlines which launched flights to Abu Dhabi and the additional services by existing airlines.

The top routes from Abu Dhabi in the first half of this year were: London , Bangkok , Doha , Manila , and Bahrain , accounting for 20% of the total passenger traffic at the airport during this period.

The traffic report for the first half of this year identified the top developing regions to and from Abu Dhabi , with North America demonstrating a 108% increase, the South West Pacific (Australia ) with 22% increase and Europe with 19% increase.

James E. Bennett, Chief Executive Officer of ADAC said: “The positive performance of Abu Dhabi International Airport for the first half of this year, the continuous growth of our airlines and the expansion of our network reflect the dynamism and potential of the Abu Dhabi market. Our airport is currently growing twice as fast as the average total world passenger traffic. As the capital is becoming increasingly attractive to business and leisure visitors, we continue to work closely with our airline-partners to identify opportunities that would generate more traffic for our airport.”