Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
Abu Dhabi Airports, operator of the emirate’s five airports, has outperformed its September target to welcome 8.61m passengers in Q3 2026, representing a 1.4 per cent growth over the same period last year.
Zayed International Airport (AUH) welcomed 8.45 million passengers during the period, a 1.2 per cent year-on-year growth.
Total cargo tonnage reached 225,298 tonnes across the network, an 11.4 per cent year-on-year increase headlined by a 28.2 per cent surge in dedicated freighter cargo. The quarter also delivered strong operational results, with 49,427 aircraft movements at AUH and 69,615 movements across the airport network, a year-on-year increase of 0.7 per cent and 3.8 percent respectively.
Headline growth during the month was driven by network density and strategic route additions following expanded carrier partnerships with Condor, Royal Jordanian, Air India Express, and Oman Air as well as new route launches by base carriers Etihad Airways and Air Arabia Abu Dhabi. As a result, AUH now serves 124 destinations, up from 112 a year earlier.
Operational performance remained high throughout the summer peak. Daily throughput consistently averaged 94,000 passengers, surpassing 100,000 daily passengers multiple times in September.
Key origin markets continued to deliver high traffic, led by India with over 671,000 passengers in September. Over the rolling 12-month period, passenger volumes hit 30.2 million, keeping Abu Dhabi Airports firmly on track to build strongly on its record-setting year in 2025.
The results trajectory reflects a synchronised emirate-wide ecosystem where the government’s tourism development strategy, airline expansion, and passenger experience converge. By compounding Abu Dhabi’s geographic advantage, an eight-hour flight from 80 per cent of the world's population with efficient gate-to-curb processing, Abu Dhabi Airports multiplies the emirate’s trade and tourism capacity in one of the world's fastest-growing cities.
The recent renaming of Tahnoun International Airport (AAN), in honour of the late Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, coincides with a period of strong growth, with aircraft movements increasing 17.1 per cent and cargo volumes 63 per cent year-on-year in Q3 2026.
Ahmed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports, said: ”Our recent performance demonstrates what is possible when an entire emirate operates with a single, synchronised vision. Abu Dhabi Airports is not merely responding to demand; we are actively compounding the natural advantages of our location through world-class operational efficiency, safety, and network density. By removing friction and expanding capacity alongside our airline partners, we ensure that every new route added directly amplifies Abu Dhabi’s global economic footprint, delivering an unmatched experience for our passengers while reinforcing our position as an indispensable gateway for global trade and tourism.”
