Etihad carried record 22.4m passengers in 2025

It added 29 aircraft in 2025, the carrier's largest-ever fleet expansion in a year

- BY DHANUSHA GOKULAN

The UAE’s flag carrier, Etihad Airways, has recorded its highest passenger numbers in history, carrying 22.4 million travellers in 2025, as strong demand for Abu Dhabi and disciplined capacity growth powered the airline's fastest expansion since the pandemic.

For UAE travellers, the surge means more destinations, higher frequencies and newer aircraft across Etihad's network.

Passenger numbers rose 21 per cent year-on-year, while the airline closed December with a record 2.2 million passengers, up 28 per cent compared to the same month in 2024.