Abu Dhabi airport welcomes 2.56 million passengers

Abu Dhabi International Airport has handled 2.56 million passengers in the first quarter of this year, a more than fourfold increase from the same period last year.

The sharp increase is due to a rebound in demand, as well as new routes and services, Abu Dhabi Airports said yesterday.

It came as Covid-19 travel restrictions eased around the globe and markets reopened, boosting the appetite for travel. The number of flights rose 39 per cent annually to 22,689 in the three-month period, Abu Dhabi’s airport operator said.

“The first quarter continued to build on the momentum we saw in Q4 2021 as travel restrictions eased further, markets reopened and airlines deployed capacity to accommodate the resulting surge in demand,” said Shareef Al Hashmi, chief executive of Abu Dhabi Airports.

The relaxation of travel restrictions to and from India, the reopening of Australia and Singapore and the end of mandatory PCR tests for passengers travelling to Abu Dhabi contributed to the surge in numbers, he said.

The airport operator expects 10.7 million passengers to pass through the capital’s main airport this year, more than double the number recorded last year.

With multibillion-dollar investment in attractions such as Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Guggenheim, which is set to be completed by 2025, Abu Dhabi is strengthening its position as a leading tourist destination.

The emirate has taken measures such as reducing business licence fees to bolster its tourism sector during the pandemic as it seeks to diversify its economy.

Travellers from India accounted for the highest number of passengers to arrive in Abu Dhabi during the first quarter, with 515,927, followed by Pakistan (253,874), the UK (170,620), Saudi Arabia (137,582) and Egypt (127,009), the airport operator said.

The expansion of operations by Etihad Airways, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi and Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, the launch of 10 new routes and the introduction of the new Go First and Pegasus Airlines have added impetus to the growth at the airport.

Load factors doubled, with the average reaching 70 per cent during the quarter compared with 35 per cent in the first quarter of last year, the airport operator said.

The airport also handled 144,114 tonnes of cargo during the first quarter, down 15.7 per cent compared with the same period last year.

That was mainly because of the increase of cargo capacity to support passenger operations, the airport operator said.