Zayed International Airport handled a record 32.5 million passengers in 2025, up 12.8 per cent annually, driven by Etihad Airways' aggressive route expansion and new airlines serving Abu Dhabi.
The hub of Etihad Airways expanded its network with 39 route launches as the airline introduced services to new international destinations, from Atlanta to Hanoi, state-owned operator Abu Dhabi Airports said on Thursday.
The airport also gained seven new airline customers, including China Eastern Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, German budget airline Eurowings and Kuwaiti no-frills airline Jazeera Airways.
Passenger traffic through the airport in the fourth quarter of the year rose 13.8 per cent year-on-year to 8.59 million, helped by increasing frequencies on high-demand routes and deeper connectivity across key markets in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The performance is a “clear indicator of our operational readiness to meet growing global demand”, Ahmed Al Shamisi, acting chief executive of Abu Dhabi Airports, said.
“Our focus remains on maintaining this momentum through operational excellence and the continued expansion of our cargo and logistics capabilities … to support Abu Dhabi’s continued growth as a global aviation hub.”
Etihad Airways undertook an aggressive expansion of its international route network last year. The airline carried 22.4 million passengers in 2025, an increase of 21 per cent year-on-year, marking the “highest annual total in the airline’s history”, it said earlier in January.
The airline's load factor, a measure of how well it fills available seats with passengers, reached 88.3 per cent in 2025, up from 86.8 per cent in the previous year.
“With the largest fleet in Etihad’s history, of 127 aircraft, Etihad is better positioned than ever to welcome more visitors to Abu Dhabi,” Antonoaldo Neves, chief executive of Etihad Airways, said on January 12.
The airport and airline's expansion feeds into Abu Dhabi's wider plans to increase point-to-point traffic to the emirate and attract more international visitors. Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030 outlines plans to boost visitor numbers to 39.3 million and increase the sector's GDP contribution to Dh90 billion by the end of the decade.
Abu Dhabi is working on a detailed master plan to expand Zayed International Airport, with construction due to start in late 2027.
The airport's Terminal A, which opened in 2023, has a capacity for 45 million passengers, and there are plans to increase it to 65 million.
Elena Sorlini, who had held the role of managing director and chief executive at Abu Dhabi Airports, has returned to her native Italy to start a new position as chief executive of Grandi Stazioni Retail, a post on her LinkedIn account revealed this month. Grandi Stazioni Retail manages commercial and advertising leasing spaces in 14 railway stations in Italy.
"After many years abroad, it feels truly special to be back home and to begin this new chapter in Italy – while continuing my journey in the world of travel retail."
Ms Sorlini was appointed Abu Dhabi Airports' managing director and chief executive in February 2024 after having served in an interim capacity since June 2023, overseeing the opening of the new Terminal A.
She continues her work as a board member for Abu Dhabi Aviation, her LinkedIn profile says.
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Etihad Airways announces the introduction of 10 Airbus A321LRs to its fleet from August 1. All photos: Etihad Airways -
Etihad will also introduce the first First Class suite aboard this narrow-body aircraft -
Etihad Business Class will have 14 lie-flat beds as part of its offering aboard the A321LR -
The airliner is arranged along a single aisle -
There will be 144 seats in Etihad Economy on the new A321LR airliners -
Touchscreens will be available across Economy Class -
The Etihad A321LR will be rolled out for service on a variety of destinations from August 1
Five airports' growth
On Thursday, Abu Dhabi Airports said the emirate's five airports recorded more than 33 million annual passengers in 2025, “the largest influx of travellers in the emirate’s history”.
In its second full year of operations, Zayed International accounted for roughly 98 per cent of all passenger traffic through the emirate, the statement said.
Traffic at Abu Dhabi’s other airports has also been growing. Aircraft movements at Al Bateen were up 15.3 per cent in the fourth quarter from the same period last year, and up seven per cent annually. Al Ain airport recorded 48.1 per cent growth in the fourth quarter and 9.2 per cent annually.
Cargo volumes at Abu Dhabi Airports also grew. Nearly 770,000 tonnes of cargo were handled across the emirate’s five airports in 2025, up 12 per cent year-on-year.
