Abu Dhabi International Airport witnesses a passenger traffic boost to 5.26 million in 2021, owing to the fourth-quarter surge of 2.43 million.
Full-year figures reveal that 5,262,376 passengers were served compared to 5,570,176 in 2020 representing a drop of 5.5 percent as the airport and the industry continued to experience dampened demand due to travel restrictions and eroded consumer confidence brought on by the global pandemic.
The airport recorded 74,176 flights during the year compared to 61,034 in 2020, an increase of 21.5 percent.
“The sharp rise in passenger traffic during the last three months of the year is a clear indication that the recovery is underway and gaining momentum,” said Shareef Al Hashmi, CEO, Abu Dhabi Airports. “While the Omicron variant may have a temporary effect on demand during the early part of 2022, we expect traffic to double at Abu Dhabi International this year to reach 10.7 million as vaccination programmes progress, government restrictions in markets around the world ease, and consumer confidence rebounds.”
Abu Dhabi International’s network also expanded significantly during 2021 with 103 destinations now being served compared to 75 destinations in 2020.
The top five countries in terms of passenger volumes in 2021 were India (932,949), Pakistan (550,728), Egypt (446,883), the United States (254,201), and KSA (244,954).
The busiest destinations being served by AUH included Cairo (372,456), Islamabad (209,280), Delhi (197,012), Lahore (184,315), and Dhaka (182,983).
Service enhancements
Notable during 2021 was the robust service scores recorded at Abu Dhabi International across a number of metrics including airport cleanliness (95 percent), feeling safe and secure (95 percent), happiness index (94 percent), and passenger health & wellness (92.9 percent).
The overall satisfaction score as measured by Airports Council International was 92 percent.
A total of 5,377,208 bags were processed through the airport’s baggage system in 2021, including 3,878,132 departure bags that had a delivery success rate of 99.8 percent.
“Our focus on health, safety, and the wellbeing of AUH travelers significantly enhanced our passenger experience during the year as we launched a fully equipped PCR facility, touchless technology, self-baggage drop systems, and smart queuing technology to prevent crowding during peak operations,” said Al Hashmi.
Cargo volumes up 31.8 percent
Abu Dhabi Airports also released its 2021 cargo traffic results today which confirm Abu Dhabi International Airport handled 711,715 tonnes of freight in 2021 an increase of 31.8 percent compared to the 540,144 tonnes handled in 2020.
The surge in volumes was largely attributed to increases in shipments of general cargo and special products including express, temperature-controlled, vulnerable cargo, and pharmaceuticals.
Additionally, mail volumes also rose in 2021 with 8,767 tonnes, an increase of 13.1 percent through the cargo facility as compared to the 7,749 tonnes in 2020.
