Abu Dhabi International Airport has registered a seven per cent growth in passenger traffic this year thanks to the F1 which powered an 18 per cent increase in aircraft movement at Abu Dhabi and Al Bateen Airports.

Releasing the October 2009 traffic figures on Saturday, Abu Dhabi Airports Company (Adac) said the airport showed strong growth throughout 2009 with its passenger numbers touching 7.9 million by the end of October.

The month of October witnessed a 2.8 per cent increase in passenger numbers and 24.3 per cent jump in cargo this year, stated Ahmed Al Haddabi, senior vice president of Airport Operations at Adac.

'The extra-ordinary circumstances provided by the inaugural Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2009 event, Abu Dhabi International Airport and Al Bateen Executive Airport offered seamless operational performance to its passengers and guests through its airports as traffic over the three race-days peaked at an over 18 per cent increase, against the same dates last year,' he remarked.

'The F1 weekend also had a significant impact on cargo figures recorded, for the month, due to the high volume of F1-related collateral shipped by air freight to facilitate this world-class sporting event,' Al Haddabi said.

The start of Etihad’s daily service to Chicago, and the launch of Jazeera Airways’ double daily service between Abu Dhabi and Kuwait also factored into the continuing growth in traffic, he added.

'Passenger numbers from India, Abu Dhabi International’s largest single market, continued to rise in October, with a 6.6 per cent increase; the UK moving up a place to become the airport’s second largest market, for the month, having posted a 13.3 per cent increase in traffic. Pakistan retained a leading position, in the number three slot, with the Saudi market in fourth.'

Al Haddabi pointed out that the F1 was a fantastic result for all its teams at Abu Dhabi International Airport and Al Bateen Executive Airport, and clearly demonstrated that Adac's operational abilities are complemented by its offering of world-class facilities and infrastructure, across the board.

“We are delighted to see such strong growth throughout the year, and will continue to work with our partners throughout the industry to maintain and promote this momentum, whether it is through the launching of new routes, airport facilities or passenger support systems,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service