Etihad Airways has reported the strongest nine-month performance in its history, delivering record profit, revenue, and passenger numbers as the airline continued expanding its fleet, network and customer experience throughout 2025.
The carrier achieved a profit after tax of AED1.7bn ($463 million) during the first nine months of 2025 — a 26 per cent increase year-on-year — lifting its profit margin to 8 per cent, compared with 7 per cent for the same period last year.
Total revenue rose 18 per cent year-on-year to AED21.7bn ($5.9bn), supported by robust growth across both passenger and cargo operations.
Etihad Airways results
Passenger revenue increased 20 per cent to AED18.2bn ($4.9bn), driven by expanded capacity and a strengthened global network. Cargo revenue grew 8 per cent to AED3.2bn ($875m), supported by higher volumes, which rose 6 per cent year-on-year.
Operating performance also improved. EBITDA rose 27 per cent to AED4.3bn ($1.2bn), resulting in an EBITDA margin of 20 per cent, one percentage point higher than the same period last year.
Operating cash flow reached nearly AED6bn (more than $1.5bn), an increase of more than 40 per cent year-on-year.
Etihad carried 16.1m passengers during the period — the highest in its history — reflecting an 18 per cent rise year-on-year and supported by a 17 per cent increase in capacity and a higher load factor of 88 per cent, up one percentage point.
Etihad satisfaction
Customer satisfaction also continued to strengthen, with Net Promoter Scores rising across all cabins and reaching record levels in premium segments. Travellers have particularly well received Etihad’s new A321LR fleet, which Etihad says sets a new benchmark for comfort and service on narrow-body aircraft.
Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways, said: “Etihad’s performance this year has set a new benchmark, outpacing the market and driving nearly half of the UAE’s total passenger growth.
“It’s a clear validation of our strategy, the strength of our team, and the appeal of Abu Dhabi as a world-class destination. We’re expanding, elevating the guest experience, and maintaining our focus on efficiency and performance.”
Etihad’s operating fleet reached 115 aircraft by the end of September 2025, an increase of 19 year-on-year during one of the busiest delivery periods in its history.
In the third quarter alone, the airline took delivery of nine aircraft, including its first Airbus A321LR in July, followed by two additional A321LRs, three Boeing 787s, two Airbus A350s and one A320. This helped drive a more than 20 per cent increase year-on-year in Available Seat Kilometres for the quarter.
Etihad passenger numbers
The airline also reached a major milestone in July, carrying 20m passengers on a rolling 12-month basis for the first time.
The new A321LR fleet entered service on 1 August 2025 with its inaugural flight to Phuket, featuring private First suites, fully lie-flat Business Class in a 1-1 configuration, and enhanced cabin design.
Etihad continued to expand its network scale, operating close to 300 passenger flights per day to more than 100 destinations, of which 91 were active as of 30 September.
Etihad launched new destinations to Atlanta and Al Alamein in the third quarter and announced additional routes to Salalah, Kazan and Krakow. Across Europe alone, Etihad added more than 500,000 seats in 2025.
In total, 31 new destinations have been launched or announced over the past 12 months, reinforcing Etihad’s contribution to Abu Dhabi’s inbound tourism growth and its ambition to make the capital one of the most connected cities in the world.
Partnership and team growth
Partnerships also expanded, including new loyalty collaborations with Vietnam Airlines and an extended cargo partnership with Atlas Air.
Etihad’s sustained growth has been supported by significant investment in talent, with more than 2,600 new employees added in the first nine months of 2025, including over 200 pilots and 1,500 cabin crew. More than 1,500 employees were promoted across the organisation during the same period.
