Abu Dhabi airports’ passenger traffic soars to 22.4 million in 2023

Image credit: WAM

Abu Dhabi airports handled 22.4 million passengers in 2023, according to the Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi (SCAD), bolstering the role of the emirate’s aviation sector as a key driver of economic growth.

The latest data from SCAD shows that the number of annual arrivals through Abu Dhabi’s airports reached more than 11.1 million, while the number of departures stood at 11.3 million.

The Indian subcontinent topped the list of arrivals through Abu Dhabi’s airports by country of origin, with about 3.2 million travellers by the end of 2023.

Western Europe followed with 1.9 million, Asia had 1.7 million while GCC countries accounted for around 1.6 million and East Asia with 822,777 travellers.

Furthermore, the Indian subcontinent led the number of departures from the emirate’s airports last year, with around 3.5 million travellers, followed by South America with 1.9 million, Asia with 1.7 million, and GCC countries with 1.6 million.

Abu Dhabi’s Al Ain International Airport welcomed 51,067 passengers in 2023, while the number of departures stood at 43,945, with 1,763 transiting through the airport and 1,011 through Zayed International Airport.

SCAD said aircraft traffic through Abu Dhabi’s airports jumped 27.8 per cent in 2023, with the number of flights reaching 141,225 at Zayed International Airport from 110,536 flights in 2022. Al Ain International Airport logged 8,409 flights in 2023 compared to 7,598 flights a year earlier.

The cargo volume for imported goods stood at 319,993 tonnes, with Asia accounting for 138,187 tonnes. Exports reached 238,644 tonnes, led by Western Europe with 98,089 tonnes.

Read: Abu Dhabi International Airport is now Zayed International Airport