July 01--Cargo activity handling rose to 66,944 tonnes representing a 24.5 per cent increase when compared to 53,788 tonnes in May 2013.
Aircraft movements at Abu Dhabi Airport in May increased by 15.8 per cent registering 12,931 movements when compared with 11,162 logged in May 2013. -- Reuters
Abu Dhabi International Airport hit a record in growth in passenger traffic for the month of May 2014, as more air carriers have started flying to the emirate. A total of 1,633,700 passengers used Abu Dhabi International Airport last May 27.4 per cent more year-on-year.
Aircraft movements also increased by 15.8 per cent registering 12,931 movements when compared with 11,162 movements logged in May 2013.
Cargo activity handling rose to 66,944 tonnes representing a 24.5 per cent increase when compared to 53,788 tonnes in May 2013.
Manila was the most popular route in May increasing by 21 per cent due to a boost in Philippine Airlines' operations, followed by Doha which increased by 27 per cent, affected by the increase in Etihad flights to Qatar.
Bangkok was the third most popular destination followed by London which recorded an increase of 12 per cent followed by Mumbai which has grown sharply by 87 per cent due to Etihad and Jet Airways' double daily flights, and became one of the top five destinations for the first time.
Engr. Ahmad Al Haddabi, Chief Operations Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, commented on the May traffic numbers saying: "Passenger numbers have continued to increase over the past few years, making the airport one of the fastest growing aviation hubs in the world."
New code share partnerships between Etihad and various airlines have positively impacted our traffic numbers, he said.
India, which was main traffic drivers, recorded a significant increase of 60 per cent this month due to an increase of Jet Airways flights to 65 flights per week, with a rise in the number of destinations to 6 from 3 last year.
"Abu Dhabi Airports is on track to handle this significant increase in air traffic through our current Capacity Enhancement Programme, as construction on the new Midfield Terminal Complex continues on track."
Copyright 2014 - Khaleej Times, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
