Etihad passenger traffic up by 6% in 2016

Etihad Airways said it flew 18.5 million passengers in 2016 or six percent higher than the previous year.

The airline’s sustained growth was due to the acquisition of new aircraft, additional frequencies and the introduction of further world-class products, it said in a media release on Thursday.

During the year, Etihad operated more than 109,000 scheduled passenger and cargo flights spanning around 446 million kilometres and 112 destinations.

“2016 saw sustained growth in a very tough business environment. This is where Etihad Airways’ superior products and services show their true value and where the strength of the EAG business model comes into effect through its diversity of businesses, cost effective synergies and global spread of risk,” said James Hogan, president and chief executive officer of Etihad Aviation Group (EAG).

Etihad carried more than 76 percent of the total passengers who travelled to and from Abu Dhabi International Airport in 2016. With the addition of the airline’s equity partners that operate flights into the UAE capital, the combined total rises to 86 percent of passenger traffic at the airport.