Source : WAM
Etihad Airways on Tuesday reported its strongest full-year financial and operational results to date, marking its fourth consecutive year of profitability.
The airline’s disciplined operations and cost management delivered a profit after tax of AED2.6 billion (US$698 million), up 47 percent year-on-year, with the profit margin improving to 8.4 percent (+1.5pp YoY). This is more than double the industry average net margin of 3.9 percent, according to IATA’s December 2025 estimates.
Etihad carried 22.4 million passengers, supported by a 21 percent increase in capacity year-on-year, with available seat kilometres (ASK) reaching 111.5 billion.
Revenue grew 21 percent to AED30.7 billion ($8.4 billion), driven by growth in both passenger and cargo segments. Passenger revenue increased 24 percent YoY to AED25.8 billion ($7.0 billion), reflecting higher capacity, strong demand, improved load factors, and better yields.
Operating performance strengthened, with EBITDA rising 37 percent YoY to AED6.3 billion ($1.7 billion), yielding an EBITDA margin of 20 percent (+2pp YoY).
Strong profitability translated into robust cash generation, with operational cash flow reaching almost AED8.0 billion (over $2 billion), enabling full funding of Capex for the year while deleveraging the balance sheet.
The Group’s financial strength and strategy were further recognised in December 2025 with a second consecutive Fitch credit rating upgrade to AA-, the highest publicly available rating among global airline peers.
“2025 has been a defining year for Etihad, delivering our strongest performance across every key metric and marking our fourth consecutive year of profitability,” said Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways.
Etihad also grew point-to-point and stopover traffic to Abu Dhabi, with point-to-point passengers rising by 900,000 YoY to 5.5 million, up from 4.6 million in 2024. Its stopover programme welcomed 170,000 visitors, more than double the 80,000 recorded in 2024.
Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of Etihad Airways, said, “Etihad’s record 2025 performance reflects the strength of its long-term strategy and the quality of execution delivered by its leadership and people.”
Etihad’s 2025 growth accounted for roughly 50 percent of total passenger growth in the UAE, highlighting its central role in supporting Abu Dhabi’s tourism, trade, and economic ambitions.
The growth was supported by the airline’s largest expansion year in history, adding 29 aircraft to the operating fleet, which grew to 127 aircraft, allowing increased frequencies, expanded capacity, and broader global reach to and from Abu Dhabi.
With fleet growth, Etihad expanded its network from 94 to 110 destinations, while total landings rose from 90,000 to over 105,000.
In 2025, the airline welcomed more than 3,200 new employees and promoted around 2,200 staff internally. Frontline hiring remained a priority, with roughly 1,600 cabin crew and nearly 400 pilots joining, supporting capacity expansion while maintaining service quality and operational resilience. Approximately 1,500 cabin crew and nearly 150 pilots were promoted during the year.
Etihad’s workforce in 2025 represented 152 nationalities, reflecting the airline’s diverse global operations.
