Abu Dhabi Airports Records 33 Million Passengers In 2025 As AUH Expands Network

Abu Dhabi Airports reported its highest ever annual throughput in 2025, with more than 33 million passengers using the emirate’s five airports. The performance confirmed strong demand for Abu Dhabi as an international hub, supported by rapid network growth at Zayed International Airport (AUH) and rising activity at Al Bateen Executive Airport (AZI) and Al Ain International Airport (AAN).

AUH continued to dominate Abu Dhabi Airports passenger traffic. In its second full year of operations, the airport handled about 98 percent of travellers and 73 percent of aircraft movements across the network. During Q4 2025 alone, AUH processed 8.59 million passengers, representing a 13.8 percent year‑on‑year increase and highlighting sustained momentum through the peak travel season.

The record passenger figure built on three years of strong recovery, during which traffic volumes across the five airports doubled. Based on 2025 data, AUH was the fastest‑growing mega airport in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. That position reflected a wider international route network, more flight frequencies on busy sectors, and deeper links to core markets across EMEA and Asia.

Network expansion at AUH in 2025 included 39 new route launches and the arrival of 7 additional airlines. Carriers such as China Eastern Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Eurowings, Jazeera Airways and Etihad Airways added or scaled services. New destinations ranged from Addis Ababa, Atlanta and Hong Kong to Berlin, Hanoi, Pune and Warsaw, strengthening both point‑to‑point and connecting flows.

Throughout the year, AUH exceeded 100,000 passengers in a single day on several occasions. Passing that daily threshold is viewed within the sector as a key indicator of operational capability. At those traffic levels, hub airports must maintain stable turnaround times, reliable baggage performance and smooth transfer processes for connecting passengers.

Ahmed Juma Al Shamisi, Acting Chief Executive Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, said, "Surpassing the 33 million passenger milestone is a proud achievement for our teams. It is also a clear indicator of our operational readiness to meet growing global demand. This performance is the result of the hard work across every level of Abu Dhabi Airports to deliver on the strategic mandate set by our leadership. Our focus remains on maintaining this momentum through operational excellence and the continued expansion of our cargo and logistics capabilities, ensuring that we provide the world-class infrastructure and service quality necessary to support Abu Dhabi’s continued growth as a global aviation hub."

Abu Dhabi Airports passenger traffic, cargo growth and awards

Abu Dhabi Airports logged several long‑term milestones in 2025. Passenger traffic posted double‑digit percentage growth for the 19th consecutive time. It was also the first year in which annual passenger numbers across the emirate’s five airports passed 30 million. Management linked this pattern to route development, airline partnerships, and ongoing investment in capacity and traveller experience.

Traffic also increased at Abu Dhabi’s other airports. At Al Bateen Executive Airport, aircraft movements rose 15.3 percent in Q4 2025 compared with Q4 2024, and 7 percent for the full year. Al Ain International Airport recorded passenger growth of 48.1 percent for Q4 2025 versus Q4 2024, with annual traffic up 9.2 percent, signalling growing demand on regional and niche routes.

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Cargo activity expanded alongside Abu Dhabi Airports passenger traffic. Across the five airports, nearly 770,000 tonnes of freight moved in 2025, an increase of 12 percent year‑on‑year. The figures underlined the appeal of trade corridors that link Abu Dhabi with major logistics centres. The organisation also focused on integrating cargo and passenger operations to support wider supply chain resilience.

Recognition from industry bodies followed these operational results. Abu Dhabi Airports received the Best Airport for Retail award at the 2025 Frontier Awards and was named Highly Commended at the 2025 Aviation Business Awards. AUH achieved ACI Level 2 Accessibility Accreditation and Level 3 Customer Experience Accreditation, in addition to honours for its technology platforms and service initiatives.

Overall, Abu Dhabi Airports passenger traffic and cargo figures in 2025 pointed to a stable, long‑term growth pattern across the emirate’s aviation system. With AUH acting as the primary hub, and supporting airports adding capacity, the network ended the year with record volumes, expanded routes and sector recognition for operations, accessibility, retail and customer experience.

With inputs from WAM