High flyers landing at Al Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi

Traffic increased at Abu Dhabi's dedicated business jet hub, Al Bateen Executive Airport, by 11 per cent last year, compared with 2011.

Abu Dhabi Airports Company (Adac) also reported that the number of visiting private aircraft grew by 40 per cent in 2012 compared with the previous year.

"The consistent growth in aircraft movement in general, and the substantial increase of visiting aircraft in particular, reflects the airport's success in attracting business and international customers to the airport," said Ahmed Al Haddabi, the chief operating officer at Adac, which operates and manages Al Bateen.

"In addition, the overall commercial traffic growth registered at the airport in 2012 is a testament of the airport's position as key business aviation hub for the region, as more charter companies and aircraft owners choose DhabiJet, Al Bateen's fixed-base operator service, as their preferred base in the region," Mr Al Haddabi said.

Events in Abu Dhabi such as the International Defence Exhibition and Conference, The World Future Energy Summit and Cityscape were key drivers to the traffic growth at the airport.

In November, Al Bateen handled aircraft from all over the world carrying VIPs and Formula One drivers. On race day there were 40 private jets on the ground.

dblack@thenational.ae