Abu Dhabi, UAE, 23 June 2009: Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) today released the May 2009 traffic figures for Abu Dhabi International Airport, which show a year on year increase of 6.6 per cent in passenger traffic. Aircraft movements increased by 9.4 per cent whilst cargo recorded a 6.4 per cent increase compared to the same month last year. Passenger traffic for the year to date (YTD) shows an increase of 8.2 per cent, with 3,793,693 passengers handled through the airport during this period.

Mohammed Al Bulooki, Vice President of Airline Marketing and Aeronautical Revenue

Contributing to the traffic growth is the recent extension and increase of services by Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa. Other factors included the arrival of new Serbian airline, Jat Airways, which recently started a twice weekly service between Abu Dhabi and Belgrade, and Etihad Airways adding Astana in Kazakhstan to its growing network of destinations.

London remained in the top position as Abu Dhabi's busiest city destination route, for the month of May, with a total of 37,620 passengers. Doha was the second busiest route, overtaking Bangkok which took third place. Jeddah and Manila were the fourth and fifth busiest destinations respectively.

Traffic to and from India, Abu Dhabi Internationals' largest single market, increased by 18.3 per cent, while Pakistan reclaimed its position as the airport's second largest market with 9.9 per cent growth, after having been in third place the previous month.

Australia, in recording a phenomenal 99.4 per cent increase in traffic due to improved connectivity with weekly flights to Sydney and the daily flights to Melbourne launched in April, became the airport's sixth largest market.

Mohammed Al Bulooki, Vice President of Airline Marketing and Aeronautical Revenue, commented:

"Abu Dhabi International Airport is continuing to outperform the market which we credit to a combination of quality services and facilities offering and the robust infrastructure of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi's economy and continuingly favourable business climate, relative to today's global economic climate.

"Our reach is growing in strong steady steps and keeping pace with the tremendous development of Abu Dhabi is making towards its ambitions as a centre for both business and leisure. This has been reflected in the continuing interest being shown in Abu Dhabi from the international business and leisure travelling communities, and qualified in terms by the five new airlines who have established their operations at Abu Dhabi International in 2009 alone.

"Couple this with our existing partner airlines recognising a growing need to extend their Abu Dhabi services and routes; we are clearly continuing to look to the future with heart and are poised, locally, for what we see as the gradual, cyclical, and extended recovery across the industry and other world regions in the near future."

The average daily passenger traffic for the month of May was 26,235. Mail volumes in the same month continued to increase, up by 66 per cent, led by the increase in Etihad's mail volume to the USA and Australia.

Abu Dhabi International Airport Traffic Results May2009

This report summarizes the traffic results for Abu Dhabi International Airport for the month of May 2009, and for the last 12 months – all compared to their equivalent period of the previous year.

-ENDS-

About Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC):
Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) is a public joint-stock company wholly owned by the Abu Dhabi Government. It was incorporated by Amiri Decree number 5, issued on 4th March 2006, to spearhead the development of the Emirate's aviation infrastructure.

In September 2006 ADAC took over responsibility for the operation and management of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain international Airports. In 2008, ADAC added Al Bateen private jet airport, formerly Al Bateen military airbase, and Sir Baniyas Island Airport to its portfolio. These airports all serve different segments of the marketplace and help contribute to Abu Dhabi’s development as a destination for both business and leisure tourism.

Currently under way is the large scale AED 25 (US $6.8) billion re-development and expansion of Abu Dhabi International Airport designed to increase the overall capacity of the airport to more than 20 million passengers per year. As part of this redevelopment, a second runway and a third terminal have been completed. A new ATC tower and the Midfield Terminal Complex will complete the redevelopment within the next few years.

Press Office, ADAC – Abu Dhabi Airports Company 
P.O. Box:       94449, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E
Telephone:    +971 2   505 3431
Fax:                +971 2   575 8300
Mobile:           +971 50 2205188
E-mail:           adac@fourcommunications.com
Website:        www.adac.ae 
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