Etihad Airways has confirmed that it transported 22.4 million passengers in 2025—up 21 % on 2024 and the highest annual total in the carrier’s 22-year history. The figures, released on 13 January 2026, translate into an average load factor of 88.3 % and reflect what chief executive Antonoaldo Neves called a “full rebound” of Abu Dhabi as a corporate-travel gateway. (visahq.com)
The growth was driven by the restoration of Mainland-China capacity, added frequencies to India’s IT hubs and the launch of long-haul services to Boston and Osaka. Etihad’s network now spans 78 destinations served by 127 aircraft, its largest fleet to date. For mobility teams the numbers matter: every new Etihad frequency increases non-stop options for relocating staff, reduces interline mis-connects and strengthens Abu Dhabi’s bid to lure regional headquarters away from competitors in Doha and Riyadh. (visahq.com)
For global mobility specialists orchestrating these new routings, securing the right travel documents quickly is essential. VisaHQ can facilitate UAE visa procurement through its intuitive platform, offering expedited processing, document checks, and live status updates for everything from short business visits to multi-year residence permits. Full details are available at https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/.
![Etihad carries record 22.4 million passengers in 2025 and hints at new European and African routes]()
Looking ahead, the airline signalled that it will unveil “multiple” European and African destinations at Arabian Travel Market in May. Corporate-travel buyers should prepare for new volume-deal negotiations, while ESG managers will note that Etihad’s average fleet age fell to 6.3 years after the arrival of additional A350-1000s, improving per-seat emissions metrics. (visahq.com)
The record also dovetails with Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030, which targets 39 million annual visitors and hinges on last year’s relaxation of multiple-entry-visa rules. Abu Dhabi Airports Company is expanding e-gate capacity and biometrics lanes to keep passenger-flow times within a ten-minute benchmark even as volumes rise. (visahq.com)
Action points for mobility managers: review seat-allocation agreements before Etihad’s new capacity comes online; update per-diem budgets as the carrier phases out pandemic-era change-fee waivers; and advise travellers that some low-fare buckets introduced in this week’s parallel 26 % global sale carry strict date-change penalties. (visahq.com)
The growth was driven by the restoration of Mainland-China capacity, added frequencies to India’s IT hubs and the launch of long-haul services to Boston and Osaka. Etihad’s network now spans 78 destinations served by 127 aircraft, its largest fleet to date. For mobility teams the numbers matter: every new Etihad frequency increases non-stop options for relocating staff, reduces interline mis-connects and strengthens Abu Dhabi’s bid to lure regional headquarters away from competitors in Doha and Riyadh. (visahq.com)
For global mobility specialists orchestrating these new routings, securing the right travel documents quickly is essential. VisaHQ can facilitate UAE visa procurement through its intuitive platform, offering expedited processing, document checks, and live status updates for everything from short business visits to multi-year residence permits. Full details are available at https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/.
Looking ahead, the airline signalled that it will unveil “multiple” European and African destinations at Arabian Travel Market in May. Corporate-travel buyers should prepare for new volume-deal negotiations, while ESG managers will note that Etihad’s average fleet age fell to 6.3 years after the arrival of additional A350-1000s, improving per-seat emissions metrics. (visahq.com)
The record also dovetails with Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030, which targets 39 million annual visitors and hinges on last year’s relaxation of multiple-entry-visa rules. Abu Dhabi Airports Company is expanding e-gate capacity and biometrics lanes to keep passenger-flow times within a ten-minute benchmark even as volumes rise. (visahq.com)
Action points for mobility managers: review seat-allocation agreements before Etihad’s new capacity comes online; update per-diem budgets as the carrier phases out pandemic-era change-fee waivers; and advise travellers that some low-fare buckets introduced in this week’s parallel 26 % global sale carry strict date-change penalties. (visahq.com)
