Abu Dhabi's airport operator expects 10.7 million passengers to pass through the UAE capital's main airport in 2022, more than double last year's number, as the industry continues to recover from the coronavirus-induced slowdown.
Abu Dhabi International Airport handled 5.26 million passengers in 2021, 5.5 per cent less than the previous year, as demand declined due to global travel restrictions, Abu Dhabi Airports said on Wednesday.
Last year's passenger traffic levels were mainly driven by a surge in travel during the fourth quarter. About 2.43 million passengers passed through the airport in the last three months of 2021, or 46 per cent of the passenger traffic for the entire year.
“The sharp rise in passenger traffic during the last three months of the year is a clear indication that the recovery is under way and gaining momentum,” said Abu Dhabi Airports chief executive Shareef Al Hashmi.
The UAE capital has taken measures such as reducing business licence fees to bolster its tourism sector amid the pandemic as it seeks to diversify its economy.
With multibillion-dollar investments in attractions such as Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Guggenheim, which is set to be completed by 2025, the emirate is strengthening its position as a preferred destination for travellers and tourism investment.
Abu Dhabi is bullish about the outlook for air passenger demand this year due to the UAE's rapid Covid-19 vaccination programme and the loosening of travel curbs around the world.
“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,” Mr Al Hashmi said.
In 2021, the airport recorded 74,176 flights, up 21.5 per cent from 61,034 flights in the previous year. Abu Dhabi International’s network also grew to 103 destinations in 2021, from 75 destinations in 2020.
The top five source countries in terms of passenger volumes in 2021 were India with 932,949 passengers, followed by Pakistan (550,728), Egypt (446,883), the US (254,201) and Saudi Arabia (244,954).
The busiest destinations served by Abu Dhabi International were Cairo with 372,456 passengers, Islamabad (209,280), New Delhi (197,012), Lahore (184,315) and Dhaka (182,983), the operator said.
“Our focus on health, safety and the well-being of [Abu Dhabi] travellers significantly enhanced our passenger experience during the year as we launched a fully equipped PCR facility, touchless technology, self-baggage drop systems and smart queuing technology to prevent crowding during peak operations,” said Mr Al Hashmi.
Air cargo volumes last year stood at 711,715 tonnes last year, up 31.8 per cent from the 540,144 tonnes handled in 2020, according to the airport operator.
“The surge in volumes was largely attributed to increases in shipments of general cargo and special products, including express, temperature-controlled, vulnerable cargo and pharmaceuticals,” Abu Dhabi Airports said.
Mail volumes were also on the rise, with 8,767 tonnes passing through Abu Dhabi International’s cargo centre, an increase of 13.1 per cent from the 7,749 tonnes handled in 2020, the operator said.
Air cargo has been a rare bright spot for the aviation industry since the onset of Covid-19 two years ago, with rates increasing due to a surge in e-commerce sales and as pandemic-related supply chain bottlenecks drive up demand for air freight services.
Pressure on airline profitability is set to continue easing during 2022 as passenger traffic recovers and cargo demand strengthens, the International Air Transport Association said this week.
An Iata survey of airline chief financial officers and cargo business bosses showed an improvement in profitability, demand, cargo and employment in an industry battered by the Covid-induced slowdown.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Defined benefit and defined contribution schemes explained
Defined Benefit Plan (DB)
A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.
Defined Contribution Plan (DC)
A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
more from Janine di Giovanni
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
BACK%20TO%20ALEXANDRIA
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If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
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The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
How to donate
Text the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
6025 - Dh 20
2252 - Dh 50
2208 - Dh 100
6020 - Dh 200
*numbers work for both Etisalat and du
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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Norway
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Canada
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Sheikh Zayed's poem
When it is unveiled at Abu Dhabi Art, the Standing Tall exhibition will appear as an interplay of poetry and art. The 100 scarves are 100 fragments surrounding five, figurative, female sculptures, and both sculptures and scarves are hand-embroidered by a group of refugee women artisans, who used the Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery art of tatreez. Fragments of Sheikh Zayed’s poem Your Love is Ruling My Heart, written in Arabic as a love poem to his nation, are embroidered onto both the sculptures and the scarves. Here is the English translation.
Your love is ruling over my heart
Your love is ruling over my heart, even a mountain can’t bear all of it
Woe for my heart of such a love, if it befell it and made it its home
You came on me like a gleaming sun, you are the cure for my soul of its sickness
Be lenient on me, oh tender one, and have mercy on who because of you is in ruins
You are like the Ajeed Al-reem [leader of the gazelle herd] for my country, the source of all of its knowledge
You waddle even when you stand still, with feet white like the blooming of the dates of the palm
Oh, who wishes to deprive me of sleep, the night has ended and I still have not seen you
You are the cure for my sickness and my support, you dried my throat up let me go and damp it
Help me, oh children of mine, for in his love my life will pass me by.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
Match info
Australia 580
Pakistan 240 and 335
Result: Australia win by an innings and five runs
