Etihad profit soars 32% on record passengers

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Etihad Airways is the national carrier of the UAE

Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the UAE, has posted the strongest half-year results in its history, powered by record passenger numbers and global expansion.

For the first six months of 2025, the airline posted profit after tax of AED1.1 billion, a 32% rise on the same period last year, which was also a record.

The uplift was driven by strong customer demand and efficiency gains across both passenger and cargo operations.

Total revenue climbed 16% to US$6.9 billion, with passenger revenue contributing AED11.3 billion (US$3.1 billion) and cargo revenue also adding solid growth of 9%.

Passenger performance was particularly strong, with traveller numbers rising 17% year-on-year to 10.2 million, supported by a 14% increase in Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) and an improved load factor of 87%.

Etihad H1 2025 results

In July, Etihad celebrated a new milestone of 20 million passengers carried in a 12-month period – double pre-2022 levels – strengthening its reputation as the Middle East’s "fastest-growing" carrier.

Driving this upward trend is Etihad’s determination to double both its fleet and passenger count by 2030.

CEO Antonoaldo Neves has set ambitious targets, looking to expand the fleet to 200 aircraft and carry over 38 million travellers by the decade’s end.

The airline’s rapid network expansion forms the backbone of this strategy. In 2025 alone, Etihad has launched 27 new routes, with nearly 30 new destinations added or announced over the past 12 months, taking its global footprint to almost 90 cities.

Etihad to double passengers and aircraft by 2030

7 new destinations join Etihad’s fast growing network

To sustain this momentum, more than 1,700 hires have been made in just six months, including over 100 pilots and 1,000 cabin crew.

Fleet growth is keeping pace. July 2025 marked Etihad’s busiest-ever delivery month, pushing its fleet past the 100-aircraft mark.

Among the recent arrivals: its sixth Airbus A350, seventh Airbus A380 and the Middle East’s first Airbus A321LR fitted with wide-body-style premium cabins such as flat-bed First Class suites.

Looking further ahead, Etihad has 28 Boeing wide-bodies on firm order and expects a further 18 aircraft to arrive before the end of 2025 – a pipeline that will underpin both network expansion and service enhancements.

Financial indicators suggest this momentum is set to continue. EBITDA rose 24% year-on-year to AED2.7 billion, with the margin rising to 20%, giving Etihad a strong platform to deliver another record year.

For more information, visit www.etihad.com