Passenger numbers soar at Abu Dhabi International Airport

More than one million passengers travelled through Abu Dhabi International Airport in July, with double-digit growth helped by new airlines flying into the capital and travellers in the region taking their holidays before Ramadan.

Passenger numbers travelling through Abu Dhabi International Airport increased by 13.3 per cent in July to 1.2 million compared to the same month last year, Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) said on Wednesday.

"This growth is due to another strong summer season with new airlines and increased frequencies, combined with school holidays and the holy month of Ramadan," said Ahmad Al Haddabi, the chief operating officer at ADAC.

The top five routes from the airport during July were London, Doha, Bangkok, Jeddah, and Manila, which collectively accounted for 20 per cent of total passenger traffic.

Aircraft movements grew by 3.1 per cent in July, totalling 9,700 movements.

The double-digit growth in passenger numbers was also helped by a strong flow of transit traffic passing through the airport, ADAC said.

The number of guests from GCC countries staying in Abu Dhabi's hotels grew by 98 per cent in July on the same month last year to 19,828 tourists, the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority reported earlier this week.

Abu Dhabi is continuing to expand its accessibility by air, with the Czech carrier CSA entering the market this month with direct flights between Prague and Abu Dhabi. Etihad is planning to launch non-stop service to Chengdu, China in December.