Abu Dhabi International registered more than 24 million passengers passing through its terminals during 2016, according to statistics released earlier. A total of 24,482,119 passengers used AUH as a point of departure, arrival or transit, representing a 5.1 per cent increase on the 23,286,632 passengers throughout 2015. Acting chief executive Abu Dhabi Airports, Abdul Majeed Al Khoori, said: “The figures released today reveal consistent growth in passenger traffic, demonstrating that Abu Dhabi continues to expand as a global hub processing more passengers than ever before.” Last year saw significant rises in traffic to and from a number of key destinations, such as the United Kingdom, which increased by 11.4 per cent. India remained in top position, with more than four million passengers throughout 2016, representing a market share of 18.1 per cent and an annual growth of 13.3 per cent. ADVERTISEMENT Al Khoori said: “Our partner Etihad Airways produced strong results throughout 2016, which contributed significantly to the increase in passenger traffic at AUH. “In fact, Etihad Airways accounted for 76 per cent of traffic at AUH throughout last year, more than 18.6 million passengers. “We are always looking, together with our stakeholders, for more opportunities to grow and meet the demands of our various markets.” Traffic throughout Terminal 3 rose to around 15 million passengers — a 12.6 per cent increase compared to 2015. Contributing to the significant rise in traffic was the introduction of the Smart Travel System, installed in Terminals 1 and 3 in the first quarter of 2016. This innovative system allows passengers to use automated check-in, bag drop and boarding facilities, in addition to unmanned passport control gates equipped with biometric verification functions and facial recognition technology. Older Admares wins Marasi Business Bay contract in Dubai Newer The Anam welcomes Sri Mara Spa to Vietnam