Abu Dhabi airports see passengers triple to 15.9m in 2022

Abu Dhabi Airports, the operator of the emirate’s five airports, said that 15.9 million guests used Abu Dhabi International, Al Ain International, Al Bateen Executive, Delma Island and Sir Bani Yas Island Airports – tripling the 5.26 million achieved in 2021.

Announced on the sidelines of the World Cargo Summit in Abu Dhabi, the company’s 2022 traffic results also illustrated growth in other key areas of the business, including Air Traffic Movements (ATMs) across the five airports, which totalled 194,667 for the year.

These figures showcase the integral role airports in Abu Dhabi continue to play in accommodating passengers travelling for both tourism and business purposes, as well as their increasing popularity as airports of choice for people making their way to and from regional and international destinations.

Jamal Salem Al Dhaheri, Managing Director & CEO, Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “2022 was a remarkable year for Abu Dhabi in passenger traffic terms. It illustrates the emirate’s vast potential as an attractive destination to visit, live and work in.

“Our recent airport infrastructure investments, sustained excellence across customer service, operations, and ongoing collaborations with key stakeholders and government organisations, including the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, whom we work closely with to grow Abu Dhabi’s travel, tourism and business offering, enabling investment across industries, and welcoming new audiences to visit Abu Dhabi”.

“Looking ahead, we are working towards readiness to accommodate even greater passenger traffic in 2023, which we anticipate, as higher numbers of international visitors come to the UAE for key events. Sustainability continues to play a big role in everything we do, from design to construction to operation and delivery. Such opportunities underscore that this is truly an exciting time for Abu Dhabi and the aviation transformational journey that is unfolding,” Al Dhaheri added.

Furthermore, cargo traffic results were favourable, with 583,949 tonnes of air freight handled across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain International Airports, as airlines continued rebalancing their fleets between passenger and cargo aircrafts. This positive figure is attributed to several factors, including increases in shipments of both general cargo and specialised products such as express, temperature-controlled, and pharmaceuticals.

Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH)
Looking specifically at Abu Dhabi International Airport’s fourth quarter (Q4) 2022 results, the airport served 4.78 million passengers from October 1 to December 31 – almost double the 2.43 million in Q4 2021. As of December 2022, Abu Dhabi International Airport serves more than 100 destinations and has a growing network of 28 airlines.