Etihad's first Airbus A321LR aircraft. Photo: Etihad Airways Etihad Airways reaches new milestone: 300 scheduled passenger flights per day. According to the company, this represents an increase of more than 20% year-over-year, a pace that places it among the fastest-growing traditional airlines in the world.
The result: an exceptionally strong performance season backed by a combination of operational excellence, sustained demand, and consistent network expansion.
Captain Majed Al Marzouqi, Chief Operating Officer and Guest Experience: “We are expanding our destinations, fleet, and staff on our journey to make Etihad the airline everyone wants to fly with. This growth reflects one of the fastest growth trends in the industry, thanks to our people and the trust of our guests.”
- 300 passenger flights per day, all scheduled passenger services.
- September 2025: 1.9 million passengers (+21% compared to previous year), 89% occupancy.
- January-September 2025: 16.1 million passengers (+18%).
- Europe in the summer: 35% increase in frequency compared to last year.
2025 is one of Etihad’s most ambitious years, with 25% YoY network capacity growth in September and 31 newly launched or announced destinations, including Medan (Sumatra), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), and Krabi (Thailand). This bring the network to around 90 destinations worldwide.
The operating fleet has expanded to 115 aircraft (from 96 in September 2024), including A350s, 787 Dreamliners, the return of two additional A380s, and new A321LRs with First Suites and Business lie-flat seats, a rare premium standard on medium-haul flights in a narrow-body aircraft.
Etihad’s home base, Zayed International Airport, offers a modern infrastructure with a capacity of 45 million passengers per year and 65 gates, featuring biometric process lanes that enable kerb-to-gate movement in approximately 12 minutes. Lounges and premium services complete the seamless journey, a key pillar in the company’s ability to grow without compromising quality.
In the first half of the year, Etihad hired 1,700 new employees, over 100 pilots and 1,000 flight attendants, while promoting over 1,100 employees. The UAE National Talent Strategy, launched this year, aims to double the number of Emirati employees within five years, with dedicated tracks for pilots, engineers, field managers, and staff roles from fresh graduates to MBAs.
Etihad is leveraging strong global demand, advanced domestic infrastructure, and deep investment in guest experience and people to expand rapidly, without losing precision. 300 flights a day does not solely represent a number, but a declaration of Abu Dhabi's clear ambition to become a global aviation hub, and Etihad as the natural choice for both premium and leisure travelers.