Abu Dhabi's main airport hits new high

The number of passengers travelling through Abu Dhabi International Airport increased by 18 per cent to more than 1 million last month compared with the same period a year earlier.

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The number of passengers travelling through Abu Dhabi's main airport increased by 18 per cent to more than 1 million last month compared with the same period a year earlier as more routes opened up.

About 1.14 million passengers travelled through Abu Dhabi International Airport in January, an increase from 969,000 in the same month last year, according to the latest data from Abu Dhabi Airports Company.

Many tourists this year have opted to come to the UAE and other Gulf countries after the Arab Spring unrest, rather than previously popular destinations such as Egypt, Tunisia and Syria.

Meanwhile, Air Arabia, the UAE's budget carrier, reported a net profit of Dh78.7 million (US$21.4m) in the fourth quarter, an increase of 7 per cent from a year earlier.

The company proposed a dividend distribution of 4.5 fils per share for last year, subject to approval by the shareholders.

"The year 2011 saw ongoing political unrest in the region, as global fuel prices also surged," said Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammad Al Thani, the Air Arabia chairman.

"While these challenging market conditions continue to impact the performance of the aviation sector here in the Middle East and worldwide, we have focused more keenly than ever on ensuring the highest level of operational efficiency."

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