Etihad Airways posts 21% rise in 2025 passenger numbers

Etihad Airways carried a record 22.4 million passengers in 2025, a 21% increase year-on-year as the Abu Dhabi-based carrier continued to expand its network amid strong demand for air travel. The total represents the highest annual figure in the airline’s history.

 

Etihad’s growth accounted for roughly half of the UAE’s total passenger traffic increase last year, highlighting the national carrier’s central role in driving Abu Dhabi’s tourism and economic ambitions.

 

The passenger load factor for the full year rose by two percentage points to 88.3%, “reflecting strong commercial performance throughout the year”. December was a standout month, with traffic rising 28% to 2.2 million passengers, the highest monthly total to date.

 

Network and fleet growth underpinned the performance, with the number of destinations served increasing by 16 to 110 in 2025. The airline also expanded its fleet by 29 aircraft to 127, the largest single-year fleet growth in its history.​

 

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The additions included the introduction of single-aisle Airbus A321LRs to enhance the premium experience on short- and medium-haul routes, supporting new services to Medina, Tunis, Hanoi, Chiang Mai and Hong Kong. Etihad’s growth trajectory also drove substantial recruitment, with more than 2,600 new employees – including around 200 pilots – joining the airline in 2025.

 

Chief Executive Antonoaldo Neves described 2025 as a year of “strong growth” for Etihad, carrying not only a record number of passengers but also “improving our service, product and customer satisfaction” across the year.

 

Building on that momentum, just 10 days into 2026, the airline has already revealed plans to launch direct flights to Luxembourg in June, making it the first Middle East airline to operate the route. Earlier this year, Neves reiterated his long-term ambition to grow the airline’s fleet to 200 aircraft and serve more than 38 million passengers annually by 2030.

 

This trajectory comes as Middle East airlines are forecast to lead the world in profitability in 2026, with a net profit margin of 9.3%, more than double the global average of 3.9%, according to the latest IATA Global Outlook. The region’s carriers are projected to earn US$6.8 billion in net profit next year, continuing to outperform the wider industry on profit margins after leading on net profit margin in 2025.

 

For more information, visit etihad.com