Abu Dhabi : The Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) said yesterday the passenger traffic rose 17.2 per cent on year in February at Abu Dhabi International Airport, clear evidence that despite the global economic recession, air traffic continues to grow in this part of the region.
ADAC said in a statement that during the month, passenger traffic at the airport was 803,444, up from 685,508 in February 2009. During the month, aircraft movements rose 13.3 per cent and cargo tonnage grew 17.6 per cent on the year, it added. "The year-to-date figures, for the first two months of the year, also showed robust growth at 14 per cent," said ADAC.
"The expansion of Etihad Airways and good performance of airlines operating out of Abu Dhabi are the reasons behind the considerable growth of Abu Dhabi International Airport," George Karamanos, ADAC's Vice-President of Marketing and Communications, told Gulf News by telephone.
Busiest destination
Bangkok became the airport's busiest destination in February, pushing London to second place with Doha the third busiest city destination for the month. Bahrain and Manila were fourth and fifth respectively. The top five destinations accounted for 21 per cent of the airport's overall traffic.
"From the start of this year, we have seen encouraging results as Abu Dhabi International Airport continues to grow steadily and strongly," Ahmad Al Haddabi, Senior Vice-President of Airport Operations, was quoted as saying in the statement.
