Passenger numbers grew by 9.4 per cent at Abu Dhabi International Airport in the first quarter of the year, the airport's operator said.
A total of 2.8 million passengers passed through the airport in the first three months of the year, 9.4 per cent more than in the same period last year, according to the Abu Dhabi Airports Company (Adac).
Routes to London, Bangkok, Doha, Manila and Jeddah accounted for 21 per cent of the total traffic from the airport, Adac said. Flights to Jeddah have increased by 48 per cent compared with the corresponding period last year.
New routes from Abu Dhabi include V Australia's service to Sydney, Etihad Airways's route to Bangalore, and additional Air India Express flights to Amritsar and Mangalore.
More than 116,000 tonnes of cargo were handled by the airport in the first quarter, a 16 per cent increase on last year.
Dubai International Airport also forecasts greater passenger numbers for this year. The airport authorities said in January passenger traffic was expected to expand by 11 per cent. Last year, there was a 15 per cent rise in traffic, with 47.2 million passengers passing through.
