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Zayed International Airports Handled 32.5M Passengers in 2025
Airport Traffic Soars as Etihad’s Network Growth Fuels Historic Passenger Milestone
- Publish date: since hour Reading time: two min read
Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi recorded a landmark year in 2025, handling 32.5 million passengers, a 12.8 per cent increase compared with the previous year, according to data released by Abu Dhabi Airports.
The surge in annual passenger traffic underscores the airport’s rapid growth as a global aviation hub. Strategic expansion initiatives, particularly by the home carrier Etihad Airways, were central to this achievement.
Etihad Airways played a key role in the record traffic figures by launching 39 new routes across its global network in 2025. The airline also welcomed seven new airline partners serving Zayed International, bolstering connectivity to destinations across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Etihad itself marked its highest annual passenger total in history, carrying 22.4 million travelers, a 21 per cent year-on-year increase, while operating its largest fleet ever of 127 aircraft.
In the fourth quarter of 2025 alone, Zayed International recorded 8.59 million passengers, up 13.8 per cent year-on-year, reflecting robust demand and deeper market penetration.
Airport leadership highlighted the performance as evidence of strong operational readiness and growing global demand. Plans are underway to maintain momentum with additional cargo and logistics capacity and broader airport development initiatives, including future terminal expansion to support increased traffic.
Across all five airports operated by Abu Dhabi Airports, the total passenger figure for 2025 exceeded 33 million, the largest annual traffic tally in the emirate’s history. Zayed International accounted for roughly 98 per cent of this volume, reaffirming its position as the emirate’s primary air transport gateway.
The record growth in passenger numbers comes as part of Abu Dhabi’s wider strategy to enhance tourism and bolster its status as an international transit and destination hub, with infrastructure and airline network expansion central to long-term planning.