Abu Dhabi airports ride out troubled times

Abu Dhabi Airports (ADA) reported Sept. 22 it had substantially improved earnings for the first eight months of 2017, despite the adverse impact of international events.

ADA includes not only Abu Dhabi International Airport (ADIA), but also Al Ain International Airport (AAN) as well as two smaller airfields at Delma and Sir Bani Yas, and the Al Bateen executive aircraft facility.

The company said operating revenue grew 26% in the first eight months, while earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization (EBIDA) rose 65%.

As is frequently the case with companies in the region, only limited statistics were given, with no actual figures.

So far, 2017 has proven to be another challenging year, ADA said, as a result of factors ranging from a continued Chinese austerity drive, which affected tourism; the global political climate; and these events’ impact on commodity and foreign exchange markets. ADIA had seen both aircraft movements and passenger numbers affected by these factors.

The company has also seen an 11% year-to-date rise in operating expenditure, because of a combination of planned operational requirements as well as a rise in the cost of third-party services. The latter included the expansion of air navigation outsourcing to ensure ADIA has adequate resources to handle changes in traffic movements.

A major contributor to the increase in revenues was the introduction in the second half of 2016 of a charge for passengers using the airports. Previously, it said, the emirate’s airports were some of the few worldwide that did not have such fees.