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Abu Dhabi Airports saw 5.6 per cent year-on-year increase in passenger traffic at Abu Dhabi International Airport (ADIA) in May 2016.
A total of 1.982 million people travelled through Abu Dhabi last month, exceeding May 2015's figure of 1.87 million, the airport operator said Wednesday.
A number of destinations witnessed noteworthy growth in passenger traffic, with the UK exceeding its May 2015 figures by 18.4 per cent last month, and Egypt recording a 24.3 per cent increase over the same period last year.
The number of travellers with Abu Dhabi as their final destination was 355,457 up by 4.6 per cent. The top-five routes were Mumbai, Doha, London Heathrow, Manila and Jeddah, respectively.
Arrival and departure transfers both showed an increase of 7.5 per cent and 7.7 per cent, respectively, compared to the same month last year, while the total number of transfer passengers recorded was 1.279 million up by 7.6 per cent, reflecting the airport's connectivity and position as a global hub.
Commenting on the strong growth in May, Abu Dhabi-based hospitality firm Twenty14 Holdings managing director Adeeb Ahamed said the increase in passenger traffic at ADIA combined with the steady growth in passengers at Dubai International Airport bodes well for the growth of tourism in UAE. "While forecasts at the start of the year showed modest growth for the hospitality industry in 2016, news of increasing visitors to the UAE points to the growing year-round tourism potential of the region driven by major leisure and tourism projects," said Ahmamed, who's company owns two five-star hotel properties in Dubai and London.
He said hotel occupancy usually takes a dip during Ramadan and summers. "Rising temperatures and the dip in day-time activities are some of the reasons behind the drop in tourist numbers during this period," he said.
"But at the same time, we have great opportunity to provide our guests with unique experiences like Iftar, Suhoor and other summer activities," he added.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi Airports is anticipating that around 85,000 passengers will depart from Abu Dhabi International Airport this week due to school holidays. The Abu Dhabi International Airport forecasted July 6, 10 and 11 to be the busiest days.
- haseeb@khaleejtimes.com
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