Etihad Airways announced on 12 January 2026 that it carried 22.4 million passengers in 2025—the highest number in the carrier’s 22-year history and a 21 per cent jump over 2024. Load factor averaged 88.3 per cent, and December alone saw 2.2 million travellers. CEO Antonoaldo Neves credited the performance to restored China capacity, additional frequencies to India and the launch of Boston and Osaka services. (m.economictimes.com)
The numbers cement Abu Dhabi’s rebound as a corporate-travel hub: Etihad’s network now spans 78 destinations, with 127 aircraft—the largest fleet it has operated. For mobility teams the trend translates into more non-stop options for assignees and visiting executives, particularly as the airline hinted at new European and African routes to be unveiled at Arabian Travel Market in May. (m.economictimes.com)
![Etihad Airways sets new passenger record for 2025, signals further network expansion]()
With more executives and project teams routing through Abu Dhabi, VisaHQ can streamline the visa formalities behind those extra flights. Its dedicated UAE service desk manages eVisa, multiple-entry and even Golden Visa submissions, tracks applications in real time, and integrates with corporate travel tools—saving mobility managers hours of paperwork. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/.
From a policy angle, Etihad’s growth dovetails with the emirate’s ‘Tourism Strategy 2030’, which targets 39 million annual visitors and hinges on relaxed multiple-entry visa rules introduced last year. Abu Dhabi Airports Company is accelerating terminal upgrades to handle the traffic, including additional e-gate lanes for GCC and biometrics-registered travellers. (m.economictimes.com)
Travel buyers should revisit carrier-volume agreements: higher seat supply could unlock better corporate fares, but Etihad is also restructuring fare families and revising change-fee waivers that were in place during the pandemic recovery phase. Sustainability officers will note that the airline’s average fleet age dropped to 6.3 years after inducting A350-1000s, improving per-seat emissions metrics and supporting ESG reporting for UAE-based multinationals.
The numbers cement Abu Dhabi’s rebound as a corporate-travel hub: Etihad’s network now spans 78 destinations, with 127 aircraft—the largest fleet it has operated. For mobility teams the trend translates into more non-stop options for assignees and visiting executives, particularly as the airline hinted at new European and African routes to be unveiled at Arabian Travel Market in May. (m.economictimes.com)
With more executives and project teams routing through Abu Dhabi, VisaHQ can streamline the visa formalities behind those extra flights. Its dedicated UAE service desk manages eVisa, multiple-entry and even Golden Visa submissions, tracks applications in real time, and integrates with corporate travel tools—saving mobility managers hours of paperwork. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/.
From a policy angle, Etihad’s growth dovetails with the emirate’s ‘Tourism Strategy 2030’, which targets 39 million annual visitors and hinges on relaxed multiple-entry visa rules introduced last year. Abu Dhabi Airports Company is accelerating terminal upgrades to handle the traffic, including additional e-gate lanes for GCC and biometrics-registered travellers. (m.economictimes.com)
Travel buyers should revisit carrier-volume agreements: higher seat supply could unlock better corporate fares, but Etihad is also restructuring fare families and revising change-fee waivers that were in place during the pandemic recovery phase. Sustainability officers will note that the airline’s average fleet age dropped to 6.3 years after inducting A350-1000s, improving per-seat emissions metrics and supporting ESG reporting for UAE-based multinationals.
