Abu Dhabi International Airport recorded a 9.2 per cent increase in passenger traffic for July compared to the same month the previous year.

Aircraft movements increased by 10.1 per cent while cargo traffic increased by 12.3 per cent with a total of 36,755 tonnes transported the airport last month.

More than one million passengers passed through the airport in July for the first time in any single month. In July 2009, 923,000 passengers passed through the airport.

The airport recorded a significant passenger increase in three major routes in July. Traffic with the USA increased 110 per cent, the Philippines grew 47.8 per cent and Germany saw a 19 per cent increase.

In the first six months of 2010, Abu Dhabi airport saw an 11.7 per cent increase in passenger traffic in the first six months of 2010, seeing a total of 5.1 million passengers (MEED 21:7:10).

In June alone, a total of 866,000 passengers used Abu Dhabi airport.

“The traffic growth is a reflection of the interest Abu Dhabi is attracting from international markets and its strength as a connecting hub between the east and the west,” says Ahmed al-Habbai, senior vice president of airports operations at Abu Dhabi Airports Company (Adac).

The majority of July’s passengers travelled to London, followed by Bangkok, Cairo, Manila and Doha. Together, these five destinations represented 19.1 per cent of total traffic to the airport in July.