Abu Dhabi Airports, the operator of the emirate’s five airports including flagship Zayed International Airport (AUH), recorded more than 33 million passengers in 2025, marking the highest annual passenger traffic in the emirate’s history. Passenger volumes across the five airports have doubled over the past three years, with AUH emerging as the fastest-growing mega airport in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, based on the latest traffic data. The record-breaking performance was driven by the continued expansion of AUH’s international network, as airlines introduced new destinations, increased frequencies on high-demand routes, and strengthened connectivity across key markets in EMEA and Asia. New routes added during the year connected AUH to major hubs such as Addis Ababa, Atlanta, and Hong Kong, as well as emerging markets including Berlin, Hanoi, Pune, and Warsaw. AUH also recorded multiple days in 2025 when passenger traffic exceeded 100,000 passengers per day, reinforcing its position as a preferred hub for both point-to-point and transfer traffic. Ahmed Juma Al Shamisi, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports, said surpassing the 33-million-passenger mark reflects the airport group’s operational readiness to meet growing global demand. These results underscore a consistent, multi-year growth trajectory driven by network expansion, airline partnerships, and ongoing investment in capacity and passenger experience. Traffic also increased at Abu Dhabi’s other airports. Al Bateen Executive Airport (AZI) recorded a 15.3 percent increase in aircraft movements in the fourth quarter of 2025 and a 7 percent rise annually, while Al Ain International Airport (AAN) posted strong passenger growth of 48.1 percent in Q4 2025 and 9.2 percent for the full year. Cargo activity likewise expanded, with nearly 770,000 tonnes of cargo handled across the five airports in 2025, up 12 percent year-on-year, highlighting the emirate’s growing role in global trade and logistics. Abu Dhabi Airports also received several accolades during the year, including being named Best Airport for Retail at the 2025 Frontier Awards and earning Highly Commended recognition at the 2025 Aviation Business Awards. In total, 39 new routes were launched and seven new airlines joined the network in 2025. In its second full year of operations, AUH accounted for around 98 percent of total passenger traffic and 73 percent of aircraft movements across the emirate. He credited the achievement to sustained efforts across the organization and reaffirmed the company’s focus on operational excellence, as well as the continued expansion of cargo and logistics capabilities to support Abu Dhabi’s development as a global aviation hub. The year marked several milestones for Abu Dhabi Airports, including the 19th consecutive year of double-digit passenger growth and the first time annual traffic across the emirate’s airports exceeded 30 million passengers. The airport handled 8.59 million passengers in the fourth quarter of 2025, up 13.8 percent year-on-year. Growth was supported by expanded services from carriers including China Eastern Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Eurowings, Jazeera Airways, and Etihad Airways, which launched or increased flights to key global destinations. AUH further secured ACI Level 2 Accessibility Accreditation and Level 3 Customer Experience Accreditation, along with awards recognizing its advanced technology systems and passenger experience initiatives.
