Over 2.56mln passengers pass through Abu Dhabi Airport in Q1, growth of 218%

Over 2.56mln passengers pass through Abu Dhabi Airport in Q1, growth of 218%

The airport recorded 22,689 flights during the period compared to 16,351 in 2021, a sharp increase of 38.8%.

"The first quarter continued to build on the momentum we saw in Q4 2021 as travel restrictions eased further, markets re-opened and airlines deployed capacity to accommodate the resulting surge in demand," said Shareef Hashim Al Hashmi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports.

He added, "There is no doubt that developments such as the relaxation of travel restrictions to and from India, the re-opening of Australia and Singapore and the removal of mandatory PCR testing for passengers travelling to Abu Dhabi provided further lift."

As a result, Abu Dhabi International Airport welcomed the expansion of operations by home carriers Etihad Airways, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi and Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, the launch of 10 new routes as well as the introduction of new carriers Go First and Pegasus Airlines.

Load factors have also doubled with the average passenger load factor reaching 70% during the first three months of the year versus 35% during the same period in 2021. The airport now offers flights to 99 destinations across the globe on 26 airlines compared to 81 destinations on 18 carriers during Q1 2021.

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