Passenger traffic across Abu Dhabi's five airports hit a record 29.4 million travellers in 2024, up 28 per cent year-on-year, driven by growth at Zayed International Airport that is home to Gulf major Etihad Airways.
Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport handled 28.8 million passengers last year, up from 22.4 in 2023, as the emirate's main hub added airlines and expanded its network, state-owned operator Abu Dhabi Airports said on Wednesday.
Zayed International Airport connected travellers to a network of more than 125 destinations with 29 routes launched last year.
The airport, which opened the new Terminal A in November 2023, added eight airlines last year, including British Airways, Air Astana, Aegean Airlines, US Bangla Airlines, Akasa Air, Hainan Airlines, Flynas and Turkmenistan Airlines.
“2024 was a highly successful year for Abu Dhabi Airports, marked by record-breaking passenger traffic, significant cargo growth, and the successful completion of key infrastructure projects,” Elena Sorlini, managing director and chief executive at Abu Dhabi Airports, said.
In terms of air cargo, Abu Dhabi Airports said it handled 678,990 tonnes in 2024, up 21 per cent from a year ago.
Overall aircraft movements at Abu Dhabi's five airports – Zayed International, Al Ain International, Al Bateen Executive, Delma Island and Sir Bani Yas Island airports – rose 10 per cent year-on-year to 249,747 in 2024. This reflected passenger demand from key markets such as the UK, India, Qatar, and Egypt, the data showed.
Zayed International Airport served as the “primary catalyst” of this growth, Abu Dhabi Airports said.
The hub is home to Etihad Airways, which is pressing ahead with plans to triple passenger numbers to 33 million and double its fleet to 150 planes by the end of the decade. Last year, the airline announced 10 direct routes from Abu Dhabi to destinations in Asia, Africa and the US, including Hong Kong and Atlanta.
Etihad carried 13.6 million passengers in the first nine months of 2024, a 35 per cent increase year-on-year, according to its latest report in November. Capacity, measured in available seat kilometres, increased 31 per cent year-on-year.
Passenger load factor – a measure of how many seats are filled on planes – inched up to 87 per cent in the nine-month period, from 86 per cent from the same time in 2023.
With a fleet of 95 aircraft, including five freighters, as of September 30, the airline flies to 83 destinations, up from 72 in September 2023.
Abu Dhabi is seeking to diversify its non-oil sectors – as part of wider plans to reduce the economy's reliance on hydrocarbons – with a focus on growing strategic industries including tourism, aviation and hospitality.
In April 2024, it announced plans to invest more than $10 billion in infrastructure as part of a new strategy to boost international visitor numbers and cultural activity.
Abu Dhabi's tourism sector is expected to contribute Dh55 billion ($14.97 billion) to the emirate's gross domestic product in 2024, up from Dh46 billion last year, with a “north star” target of more than Dh90 billion by 2030, Saood Al Hosani, undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), told The National in December.
Globally, passenger demand for air travel rose 10.4 per cent year-on-year in 2024 and was up 3.8 per cent above the pre-pandemic levels of 2019, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
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