Abu Dhabi to impose airport 'service fee'

Abu Dhabi has followed Dubai and Sharjah by announcing it will impose an AED35 (US $9.5) fee on all passengers departing its airports.
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The Abu Dhabi and Dubai charges, which apply to all flights either connecting or originating in the emirates, come into effect on July 1. Sharjah has yet to announce its fee collection start date. The charges do not apply to children below two years of age with cabin crew and passengers transiting through the airports on the same flight number also being exempt.
 
Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), the government-owned operator of five airports in the emirate, will collect the “service fee” from its airline users which will charge it to customers through their flight tickets. ADAC reported a 9.5% year-on-year rise in passenger traffic through Abu Dhabi International (AUH) in Q1 of this year taking passenger traffic in the first three months to 6,044,025. Aircraft movements during Q1 rose 1.5% to 42,204. AUH is home to the Middle East’s third biggest carrier Etihad Airways.