Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Airports has recently announced an impressive surge in passenger traffic during the first quarter of 2024. According to official reports, the total number of passengers surged by more than 35 per cent, reaching 6.9 million passengers compared to 5.1 million during the same period in 2023.
This positive momentum was further highlighted by an 11.4 per cent increase in flight movements, with a total of 61,737 movements recorded in the first quarter of 2024, compared to the corresponding period in the previous year.
Notably, the Zayed International Airport (AUH) emerged as a pivotal hub during this period, welcoming over 6.8 million passengers alone. The recent inauguration of a new terminal at AUH witnessed remarkable jumps, with traffic movements and passenger numbers increased by 26.6 per cent and 36 per cent, respectively.
The first quarter of 2024 also witnessed significant expansions in AUH's airline portfolio, with the return of Turkmenistan Airlines and the launch of Hainan Airlines operating in Haikou, China. This makes a total of 29 airlines now offering regular scheduled services from AUH.
Commenting on this encouraging trajectory, Elena Sorlini, the managing director and CEO at Abu Dhabi Airports, expressed her satisfaction.
“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", said Sorlini.
In addition, cargo operations also witnessed substantial growth during the first quarter of 2024 with 162,000 tonnes of air freight handled across all airports. This makes a significant 25.6 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2023.