Abu Dhabi is celebrating a serious aviation moment, and the numbers are impossible to ignore. Abu Dhabi Airports, operator of the emirate’s five airports including the flagship Zayed International Airport (AUH), recorded more than 33 million annual passengers in 2025, marking the largest influx of travellers in the emirate’s history.
In just three years, passenger volumes across the network have doubled, while AUH has surged ahead as the fastest-growing mega airport in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.
So what’s fuelling this meteoric rise? A powerful mix of expanded global connectivity, world-class passenger experience, and Abu Dhabi’s growing pull as a destination in its own right, from culture and entertainment to business and luxury travel. The emirate is proving itself to be less of a stopover, and more the main event.
Breaking all previous records was made possible through the continued expansion of AUH’s international network, with airlines adding new destinations, boosting frequencies on high-demand routes, and strengthening links across key markets in EMEA and Asia. In total, AUH’s network expanded with 39 route launches and the addition of seven new airlines, underlining Abu Dhabi’s rapid evolution into a global crossroads.
In its second full year of operations, AUH accounted for roughly 98% of all passenger traffic and 73% of aircraft movements, welcoming 8.59 million passengers in Q4 2025 alone, an increase of 13.8% YoY.
This unprecedented momentum was powered by an expanded roster of carriers, as airlines 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 stretched from major hubs like Addis Ababa, Atlanta, and Hong Kong to emerging markets including Berlin, Hanoi, Pune and Warsaw, giving travellers more reasons than ever to fly through, and to, Abu Dhabi.
AUH also hit a major milestone in operational performance, recording several days where traffic crossed the 100,000 passengers-per-day mark, a benchmark that signals both scale and efficiency, reinforcing the airport’s status as a preferred hub for point-to-point and transfer traffic alike.
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.”
The year was packed with landmark firsts, including a record 19th consecutive year of double-digit passenger traffic growth, and the first time annual traffic across Abu Dhabi’s five airports surpassed 30 million passengers. These results reflect a consistent, multi-year trajectory driven by network expansion, airline partnerships, and sustained investment in capacity and passenger experience, a formula positioning AUH firmly among the world’s most exciting aviation success stories.
Growth wasn’t limited to Zayed International Airport. Abu Dhabi’s other airports, including Al Bateen Executive Airport (AZI) and Al Ain International Airport (AAN), also posted strong gains. Aircraft movements at AZI rose 15.3% in Q4 2025, while AAN saw passenger traffic climb 48.1% over Q4 2024 and 9.2% annually, indicating broader aviation momentum across the emirate.
Cargo has also become a major pillar of Abu Dhabi’s ascent. Nearly 770,000 tonnes of cargo were handled across the five airports in 2025, up 12% YoY, highlighting the emirate’s growing appeal as a trade and logistics gateway connecting global corridors.
Adding to the momentum, AUH collected a string of accolades, including being crowned Best Airport for Retail at the 2025 Frontier Awards and receiving recognition as Highly Commended at the 2025 Aviation Business Awards. The airport also secured ACI’s Level 2 Accessibility Accreditation and a coveted Level 3 Customer Experience Accreditation, alongside awards recognising its cutting-edge technology systems and passenger-first initiatives.
There’s no question Abu Dhabi is accelerating, and its airports are rapidly becoming some of the most watched aviation hubs.
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