More than 14.7 million passengers passed through the Abu Dhabi International Airport last year recording a significant growth of 18.9% in passenger traffic compared to 2011. During 2012, the Airport greeted 14,700,420 passengers, marking a record number for the Capital. Gateway cargo traffic also increased, recording 567,965 tonnes, and representing an increase of 17.9%, in comparison to 2011, Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), the operator of the Airport, said in a statement. ADAC’s on-going investment towards improving the airport’s facilities and its comprehensive airline marketing strategy have attracted new airlines and encouraged existing airlines to expand their services to Abu Dhabi. For example 2012 witnessed a number of leading airline companies commence new routes from Abu Dhabi, including Air Berlin and Air Seychelles, in partnership with Etihad Airways. In addition, December alone saw three international carriers, Alitalia, Garuda and Hainan Airlines, start new routes through Abu Dhabi, and last year also witnessed the beginning of RAK Airways and Rotana Jet, both local carriers, offering domestic flights to and from Abu Dhabi International Airport, increasing Abu Dhabi’s connectivity with other UAE destinations. Eng. Ahmad Al Haddabi, Chief Operating Officer of ADAC commented: “2012 was a record year for Abu Dhabi International Airport with December registering 1,317,680 million passengers passing through, a 14.8% increase over December of last year, and marking the busiest month on record. 2012 also witnessed the signing of the construction contract for the MTB, a key milestone for the company and Abu Dhabi in delivering a state of the art infrastructure that will cater to more than 30 million passengers by 2017.” “The annual double digit growth that Abu Dhabi International Airport has been recording in the past decade is directly impacted by the aggressive expansion plans of the hub carrier, Etihad Airways, and the increase in the number of partnerships with international carriers, supported by ADAC’s commitment to providing passengers with consistent world-class service,” added Al Haddabi. The top five routes from Abu Dhabi International Airport during 2012 were: Bangkok, London Heathrow, Doha, Manila and Sydney. These destinations collectively generated 20% of the airport’s total passenger traffic.