Passenger traffic rises 15% at Abu Dhabi airport

Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) has experienced a 15 per cent increase in passenger traffic in the third quarter compared to the same period last year. A report said 3.3 million passengers passed through the capital\'s airport, surpassing for the first time the one million milestone for three consecutive months and achieving a 13 per cent increase in passenger traffic in the past nine months compared with the same period last year. The report showed that more than nine million passengers passed through its facilities in the last nine months. \"A total of 1,086,348 passengers passed through the airport in September, an increase of 17.1 per cent compared to the same period in 2010,\" the report said. ‘Driven by location\' Kevin Knight, chief strategy and planning officer, said: \"The increase is driven by the location of the UAE, particularly Abu Dhabi, and the over 200 destinations that Etihad Airways reaches with the help of alliances and partnerships with other airways.\" He attributed the increase to healthy economic growth along with Etihad\'s increased cargo activity. \"Cargo volumes recorded 10.8 per cent growth in September, and a further 7 per cent increase over the July-September period compared with the same periods in 2010,\" the report said. Ahmad Mohammad Al Haddabi, chief operating officer, said the increase was a positive economic indicator. \"We are seeing sustained growth throughout the year,\" he said. \"We are thrilled with the positive passenger activity results of the third quarter of this year and it is clear that both business and leisure travellers are choosing Abu Dhabi International more and more as their portal to the world.\"