Abu Dhabi Airports, the operator of the Emirate’s five airports, has released its exceptional passenger traffic results for the first quarter of 2024. The travels of more than 6.9 million passengers were facilitated through the Abu Dhabi Airports’ network from January to March 2024, marking a robust surge of 35.6% compared to the same period in 2023, when figures reached 5.1 million.

Buoyed by strong global demand for passenger and commercial services, the first quarter of 2024 witnessed a positive upswing in flight movements, with 61,737 movements recorded, representing an 11.4% increase compared to the same period in 2023.

During this period, Zayed International Airport alone welcomed over 6.8 million passengers, who experienced the outstanding facilities and services offered at the newly launched terminal. This further cements its position as a leading hub, evidenced by significant jumps of 26.6% in movements and 36.0% in passenger traffic.

Notably, in Q1 2024, Zayed International Airport expanded its airline database with the return of Turkmenistan Airlines and the launch of Hainan Airlines operating to Haikou, China, bringing the total number of regular scheduled operators to 29 airlines.

London maintained its status as the top destination city with nearly 290,000 passengers travelling to and from the English capital, whilst the top five destinations also included Mumbai, Kochi, Delhi, and Doha. Elena Sorlini, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “These figures demonstrate the continued success of our airports, which are increasingly attracting a growing number of airlines and passengers from around the world. Abu Dhabi Airport remains committed to investing in its facilities and services to enhance the passenger experience and wider value proposition to satisfy our existing airline partners and our common customers and attract new ones. With these strong Q1 results, the airport group is well-positioned for further growth and success in the future.”

In addition to passenger growth, cargo traffic also registered significant expansion in Q1 2024, with 162,000 tonnes of air freight handled across all airports. This marks a notable increase of 25.6% compared to the corresponding period in 2023 when the figure stood at 129,000 tonnes.

This performance accentuates the Emirate’s role in facilitating global trade and commerce, driven by increased shipments of general cargo and specialised products including express deliveries, temperature-controlled, and pharmaceuticals.

Abu Dhabi Airports announced recently the launch of “ASAAS”, a new programme that aims to attract, recruit and train Emirati university graduates who are interested in joining the aviation sector. The programme will seek to empower them with knowledge and experience in airport operations and management. As part of this programme, the successful university graduates will receive on-the-job training over a six-month period that is fully sponsored by Abu Dhabi Airports in collaboration with leading educational institutions. The training has been designed to cover a wide range of industry-relevant subjects, like airport operations (land and airside), aircraft flight and ground operations, health and safety, security management and general business management studies.

Seminar on Green Airports: Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), highlighted the UAE’s commitment to actively participating in the international dialogue on the future of the civil aviation sector.

Al Suwaidi stressed that the UAE is a key supporter of the international efforts to promote the transition to a green aviation system, in line with global sustainable development goals and the country’s national visions and goals for the next fifty years.

He made this statement while participating in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Seminar on Green Airports held in the Greek capital, Athens, on 18th and 19th April. The objective of the Seminar was to increase awareness of all interested parties on the emerging topics associated with airports, with a specific focus on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), Lower Carbon Aviation Fuels (LCAF) and other Aviation Cleaner Energies, including sustainable infrastructure, to enable the energy transition at airports.

The conference focussed on the critical challenges faced by airports around the world in terms of anticipating and adjusting to climate change. These challenges include predicting the effects of climate change on airport operations, formulating suitable strategies, generating investments, and enhancing infrastructure to accommodate forthcoming shifts in aviation fuel, which will encompass not only low-carbon and sustainable fuels but also other clean alternatives, such as hydrogen.

The UAE led a keynote session during the conference, titled, “Era of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), Lower Carbon Aviation Fuels (LCAF) and other Aviation Cleaner Energies ,” which was moderated by Engineer Mariam Al Balooshi, Vice President of the Environmental Protection Committee of the ICAO Council, Chair of the Environmental Committee of the Arab Civil Aviation Commission, and Chief Negotiator for the Climate Change File for the Aviation Sector in the UAE.

WAM