Abu Dhabi airport traffic rises 11.7%

Passenger traffic at Abu Dhabi International Airport for the first half of the year rose 11.7 per cent over the same period last year, the Abu Dhabi Airports Company (Adac) announced in an emailed statement Wednesday. Aircraft movements also increased 3.5 per cent over the same period last year, with 56,888 movements taking place at Abu Dhabi International Airport. It was reported that 5,742,283 passengers passed through the capital\'s airport during the six-month period. Cargo shipments also experienced steady growth as volume reached 231,733 tonnes in the first half of 2011, a 10.4 per cent increase over the same period in 2010, the statement said. Article continues below Adac attributed the recent growth to the beginning of the summer holidays together with additional frequencies by Etihad and the other airlines. This year also witnessed the introduction of new airlines such as V Australia and Cathay Pacific with services to Hong Kong, in addition to new routes and destinations introduced by Etihad. \"Adac is working relentlessly to support this trend and drive it a step further by carrying out more improvements and developments at the airport, as it aims to deliver the best services to travellers ensuring the best in speed, comfort and satisfaction,\" Ahmad Al Haddabi, Chief Operating Officer at Adac said. The busiest routes in the first half of this year were London, Bangkok, Manila, Doha and Jeddah, generating around 20 per cent of the traffic at Abu Dhabi Airport, the statement said. The Far East achieved a 40 per cent share of passenger movements, followed by the Middle East with 26 per cent and Europe with 20 per cent during the period.