Etihad marks record week with 4 sold-out route launches

Sign up to our newsletters

Stay informed with the
latest news and analysis

REGISTER

عربي

You are viewing 2 of your 2 free articles

Etihad unveils four new international routes in just seven days

Etihad Airways has marked a record week in its rapid expansion, launching four new routes in just seven days, each with sold-out inaugural flights.

The new services connect Abu Dhabi with Krabi in Thailand, Medan in Indonesia, Phnom Penh in Cambodia and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, extending the Abu Dhabi-based carrier’s reach across Southeast Asia and Africa.

Notably, Etihad is now the only airline offering direct flights between the GCC and both Sumatra and Phnom Penh.

Capping a record year of expansion, Etihad’s network now includes 31 new destinations added or announced in the past 12 months.

Recent launches to Krabi, Chiang Mai, Hanoi, Hong Kong and Kabul are all set to roll out in the last quarter of 2025, with recently announced services to Damascus, Palma de Mallorca and Zanzibar scheduled for 2026.

lake Toba and Samosir Island Sumatra Indonesia shutterstock

The Indonesian island of Sumatra is now directly accessible from Abu Dhabi

Passengers are being incentivised to try the new routes through the Extraordinary Challenge campaign, which rewards Etihad Guest members with up to five million miles for visiting multiple new destinations before May 2026.

“By launching four new routes in four different countries in just one week, we’re showing how Etihad is becoming more agile, more ambitious and more accessible,” said Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways.

The airline aims to serve more than 125 destinations worldwide by 2030.

Supporting this rapid route expansion, Etihad’s new Airbus A321LR brings the region’s first narrowbody First Class suites and lie-flat Business seats to medium-haul markets.

The Southeast Asia launches are all operated by this fuel-efficient aircraft, with 30 more to join the fleet in the coming months.

Etihad Airways carries record 2 million passengers in August

Etihad to double passengers and aircraft by 2030

Powered by this rapidly expanding network, Etihad claims to be the fastest-growing airline in the Middle East, reporting a 17% leap in passenger numbers to 10.2 million for the first half of 2025, and more than 20 million flown over a rolling 12-month period, both company records.

That growth trajectory is further evident in Etihad’s latest operating results, with September 2025 seeing 1.9 million passengers, up 21% year on year, while maintaining a robust 89% load factor.

For the first nine months of the year, passenger numbers reached 16.1 million, marking an 18% rise, with the active fleet now standing at 115 aircraft and services to 82 global destinations.

Etihad is on track for a standout year: profits after tax in the first half of 2025 surged 32% to AED 1.1 billion (US$306 million), with revenue up 16% and passenger volumes rising 17% on the same period last year.

For more information, visit etihad.com