Tag Archives: Abu Dhabi Airports

Zayed International emerges as EMEA’s fastest-growing mega airport

Abu Dhabi Airports, operator of the emirate’s five airports including the flagship Zayed International Airport (AUH), recorded more than 33m annual passengers in 2025, the largest influx of travellers in the emirate’s history. This sustained trajectory has seen traffic volumes across the emirate’s five airports double over the past three years, while AUH has emerged as the fastest-growing mega airport in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region based on the latest traffic figures. Surpassing all previous traffic records for the emirate was made possible by the continued expansion of the airport’s international network, with airlines adding new destinations, increasing frequencies on high-demand routes, and deepening connectivity across key markets in EMEA and Asia. In total, AUH’s network expanded with 39 route launches and the addition of 7 new airlines. In its second full year of operations, AUH accounted for roughly 98% of all passenger traffic and 73% of aircraft movements as it recorded 8.59 million passengers through its gates in Q4 2025, an increase of 13.8% year-on-year. This unprecedented growth was bolstered by an expanded network, as carriers such as China Eastern Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Eurowings, Jazeera Airways, as well as Etihad Airways, launched or increased services to key global destinations. New routes added throughout the year spanned from major hubs like Addis Ababa, Atlanta, and Hong Kong to emerging markets including Berlin, Hanoi, Pune and Warsaw. AUH also witnessed several days throughout the year when traffic crossed the milestone 100,000 passengers/day figure, a key marker of efficiency and success at airports that reinforces AUH’s position as a preferred hub for both point-to-point and transfer traffic. Ahmed Juma Al Shamisi, Acting Chief Executive Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, …

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