Abu Dhabi’s airports enjoy ‘healthy’ half year with robust traffic growth

Abu Dhabi Airports has reported “healthy” traffic figures for the first half of 2022, revealing that it handled 6.2 million passengers across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Al Bateen Executive, Delma and Sir Bani Yas Island airports during the six months.

CEO, Shareef Hashim Al Hashmi, said: “Our passenger traffic results for this year’s first half represent another stride forward for Abu Dhabi Airports and the wider industry.

“While 2021 was a successful year, the target for 2022 was always to build on that momentum by catering to higher numbers of travellers and expanding our airline network with partners while staying committed to the highest levels of service excellence.

“The resumption of regional and global markets and successful efforts of airlines to accommodate demands safely and effectively, have been instrumental to achieving these figures. Looking ahead, our aim is to continue building on this success throughout the second half of 2022.”

Robust service levels in H1 2022

At Abu Dhabi International (AUH) alone, the Emirate’s largest airport, the number of scheduled passenger flights increased by 94% compared to the first half of 2021. AUH today is connected to 101 scheduled passenger destinations served by 23 airlines, compared to 76 destinations by 19 airlines in the same period last year.

The top five countries in terms of passenger volumes at AUH during H1 2022 were India (1,280,000), Pakistan (485,000), United Kingdom (374,000), KSA (333,000) and Egypt (283,000).

Meanwhile, the top five destination airports were London Heathrow (276,000), Delhi (225,000), Mumbai (221,000), Cochin (217,000) and Cairo (203,000).

Abu Dhabi International also handled 297,549 tonnes of air freight during the first half of the year, a fact that it states further emphasises the Emirate’s capabilities and strategic location as a hub for cargo and freight handling in the UAE and the region.