Etihad Airways Sees Passenger Surge Amidst Flight Disruptions to UAE
Translated & summarized from Globes by baba
Passenger traffic to the UAE from Israel has dropped 50% in October after Flydubai suspended flights, benefiting Etihad Airways which saw a 49% passenger increase. Overall year-to-date passenger numbers are down slightly by 0.45%.
The story in 3 lines · by baba
- UAE-bound passenger traffic from Israel fell 50% in October due to flight suspensions.
- Etihad Airways saw a 49% passenger increase, becoming the primary carrier to the UAE.
- El Al led airlines with 650,000 passengers, while Israir and Arkia followed.
Following the cessation of flights by Flydubai to Israel in late September and the absence of Israeli airlines on the route, passenger traffic to the United Arab Emirates has plummeted by 50% compared to the previous year, reaching 72,000 travelers in October. Etihad Airways, the sole airline currently flying to the UAE from Israel, has experienced a significant increase in passengers. This marks a 49% rise from October of the previous year when the airline carried around 46,000 passengers, and a 15% increase from the preceding month.
In contrast, Flydubai transported about 75,000 passengers in September before suspending its services, leaving a void in the market. Other airlines have also seen declines; Tus Airways transported approximately 25,000 passengers in October, a 37% decrease year-on-year, while Bluebird Airways carried around 62,000 passengers, a 6% drop from October of the previous year. Both Tus Airways and Bluebird have reduced destinations and flight frequencies, a trend expected to continue.
El Al remained the leading airline in October with approximately 650,000 passengers, followed by Israir with about 211,000 and Arkia with around 152,000. Arkia is currently facing financial difficulties, with reports suggesting Israir and other companies are interested in acquiring it.
This growth is partly attributed to the recent elections, with Israir CEO Uri Sirkis noting a trend of more passengers arriving in Israel than departing during election week. The most popular destinations in October included Greece (200,000 passengers), the United States (190,000), Italy (180,000, a 40% increase), Cyprus (120,000), and Germany (110,000).
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