Abu Dhabi’s airports experience “exceptional” traffic growth
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Abu Dhabi Airports, the operator of five airports across the UAE Emirate, has released what it is calling “exceptional” passenger traffic results for the first quarter of 2024.
The high praise for its Q1 performance is based on a 35.6% upturn in passenger numbers across its airport network between January and March 2024 compared to the same period a year ago.
In total, 6.9 million passengers passed through its gateways, almost all of them passing through Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport, which welcomed 6.8 million travellers during the quarter.
Abu Dhabi Airports notes that in Q1 2024, Zayed International Airport expanded its airline network with the return of Turkmenistan Airlines and the launch of Hainan Airlines operating to Haikou, China, bringing the total number of regular scheduled operators to 29 airlines.
London maintained its status as the top destination city with nearly 290,000 passengers travelling to and from the English capital, whilst the top five destinations also included Mumbai, Kochi, Delhi, and Doha.
| Zayed International Airport’s Top 5 destinations by passenger numbers (Q1 2024) | |
| 1. London | 289,674 |
| 2. Mumbai | 240,681 |
| 3. Kochi | 206,139 |
| 4. Delhi | 203,395 |
| 5. Doha | 184,31 |
Elena Sorlini, managing director and CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “These figures demonstrate the continued success of our airports, which are increasingly attracting a growing number of airlines and passengers from around the world.
“Abu Dhabi Airports remains committed to investing in its facilities and services to enhance the passenger experience and wider value proposition to satisfy our existing airline partners and our common customers as well as attract new ones. With these strong Q1 results, the airport group is well-positioned for further growth and success in the future.”
In addition to passenger growth, cargo traffic also registered significant expansion in Q1 2024, with 162,000 tonnes of air freight handled across all airports.
The airport is quick to point out that this marks a notable increase of 25.6% compared to the corresponding period in 2023, when the figure stood at 129,000 tonnes.
It says that this “impressive performance” accentuates the Emirate’s role in facilitating global trade and commerce, driven by increased shipments of general cargo and specialised products including express deliveries, temperature-controlled, and pharmaceuticals.
