Abu Dhabi Int'l passenger numbers rise 8.7% in Feb

Passenger traffic at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) saw a 8.7% increase in in February 2016 compared to the same month last year.

Latest figures show around 1.86 million passengers travelled through AUH last month, exceeding February 2015's figure of 1.72 million.

"This highlights the fact that the UAE capital is continuing to develop as a global tourism destination and strategic transport hub," said Abu Dhabi Airports chief operations officer Ahmad Al Haddabi.

"Traffic between India, UK, Thailand, Australia, the US and a number of others, all witnessed increased passenger figures from AUH. Etihad Airways' partner network has played a big role in the rise of these numbers," said Al Haddabi.

Aircraft movements in February reached 13,307, up 3.5% from 12,852 movements recorded in February 2015, reports Khaleed Times.

Several destinations saw significant growth in passenger traffic, with Australia beating its February 2015 figures by 45.2% last month, and the United Kingdom recording an 18.8% increase in the same period.