Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates- Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) is to promote its airports in a series of conferences around the world over the coming weeks.

The new Mid-Field Terminal (pictured) will support expansion plans for more airlines to operate out of Abu Dhabi.

This week it was at the European Regional Route Development Forum, held in Portugal from 11-13 May - the latest in a series of events that will see the ADAC team promoting and selling the advantages of Abu Dhabi to airlines in Boston, USA, Senegal, Africa, and Mumbai in India.

The initiative is designed to build on the success ADAC has already enjoyed this year in attracting four new airlines to Abu Dhabi. These services are now provided by Jet Airways (India), Nas Air (Saudi), Fly Yeti (Nepal) and Midex Airlines, the cargo carrier based out of Al Ain International Airport, Abu Dhabi.

"Complementing Abu Dhabi Airports Company's commitment to become the preferred choice for travellers to the UAE, the Route Development Forums provide a platform from where our airports can build relationships that will help ADAC promote the natural advantages its airports enjoy in terms of speed and accessibility,' said Mohammed Al Bulooki, Director of Marketing and Communications, ADAC.

He added: "Abu Dhabi International Airport currently services a total of 37 airlines and it is clear that the Route Development Forums play a vital role in helping identify and creating opportunities for ADAC to grow that number in the future."

In spite of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicting a worldwide slowing of passenger growth over next few years – IATA forecasts an average annual growth rate globally of 5.1% up to 2011 – the Middle East, and Abu Dhabi in particular, is bucking that trend and experiencing significant levels of growth.

Q1 figures, recently announced by ADAC, reveal passenger throughput at Abu Dhabi International Airport was up 35 percent over the same period last year.

The airport owner and operator, ADAC, remains confident of continued and sustained growth for the short to medium-term, particularly as key markets in Europe and Africa into the region remain under-serviced – Spain being a prime example.

The European Regional Route Development Forum ran from 11-13 May in Porto, Portugal; the next Regional Forum (Africa) is set to take place in Dakar, Senegal, from 25-27 May, where over 250 delegates are expected to attend. In June ADAC will travel to Boston and India.

Earlier this year saw the Intra-Americas Regional Forum which took place on 10-12 February in Cancun, Mexico, with the Regional Asia Forum being successfully organized in Macau, China on 13-15 April.

Future venues for the forums include Vancouver, Canada; Beijing, China; and Hyderabad, India.