UAE Business: Abu Dhabi airport welcomes 2.56m guests in Q1; up 218% – Gulf Digital News

UAE Business: Abu Dhabi airport welcomes 2.56m guests in Q1; up 218% – Gulf Digital News

Abu Dhabi Airports said that the airport welcomed 2.56 million guests in the first quarter of 2022, more than triple the number seen during the same period last year on the back of resurgent demand and new frequencies, routes and services.

First quarter statistics confirm that 2,563,297 passengers were served compared to 807,310 in Q1 2021, an increase of 218% as Covid-19 related travel restrictions across the globe eased and markets re-opened, reported state news agency WAM.

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