Airports

Fourth quarter surge at Abu Dhabi International boosts passenger traffic to 5.26mln in 2021

Abu Dhabi Airports released its 2021 passenger traffic results today which confirm Abu Dhabi International Airport welcomed 5.26 million guests in 2021 thanks to a fourth quarter surge that saw 2.43 million, which equates to 46% of the full year’s passenger numbers, pass through the UAE capital’s hub.

Full year figures reveal that 5,262,376 passengers were served compared to 5,570,176 in 2020 representing a drop of 5.5% as the airport and the industry continued to experience dampened demand due to travel restrictions and eroded consumer confidence brought on by the global pandemic.

The airport recorded 74,176 flights during the year compared to 61,034 in 2020, an increase of 21.5%.

“The sharp rise in passenger traffic during the last three months of the year is a clear indication that the recovery is underway and gaining momentum,” said Shareef Al Hashmi, CEO, Abu Dhabi Airports.

“While the Omicron variant may have a temporary effect on demand during the early part of 2022, we expect traffic to double at Abu Dhabi International this year to reach 10.7 million as vaccination programmes progress, government restrictions in markets around the world ease and consumer confidence rebounds.”

Abu Dhabi International’s network also expanded significantly during 2021 with 103 destinations now being served compared to 75 destinations in 2020.

The top five countries in terms of passenger volumes in 2021 were India (932,949), Pakistan (550,728), Egypt (446,883), United States (254,201) and KSA (244,954).

The busiest destinations being served by AUH included Cairo (372,456), Islamabad (209,280), Delhi (197,012), Lahore (184,315) and Dhaka (182,983).

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