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Etihad Airways CEO says airline 'ready to IPO anytime', waiting on shareholders
The UAE national carrier reported its strongest-ever half-year performance, delivering record profitability and passenger numbers in the first six months of 2025
- PUBLISHED: Wed 3 Sept 2025, 12:13 AM UPDATED: Wed 3 Sept 2025, 11:07 AM
Etihad Airways said it is ready for an initial public offering at any time, but no date has been set, its chief executive said.
Antonoaldo Neves said during a virtual conference that the shareholder “is trying to see if and when they should IPO.”
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“The IPO is not decided yet. This is a shareholder decision. We don't have a date for that. Etihad is ready to IPO anytime,” Neves said as the airline announced record first-half results.
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The UAE national carrier reported its strongest-ever half-year performance, delivering record profitability and passenger numbers in the first six months of 2025. Its profit after tax reached Dh1.1 billion during January-June 2025, a 32 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
“We're living in a very interesting phase. Etihad is paying dividends. Many airlines in the world that are doing well they're buying back shares. So I think it's very understandable that the (Etihad) shareholder is trying to see if and when they should IPO. That's a decision for the shareholder, not for the management,” Neves said during the media briefing on Tuesday.
In October 2022, the Supreme Council for Financial and Economic Affairs (SCFEA) transferred full ownership of Etihad Aviation Group to ADQ, an Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company.
ADQ is headed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and Member of the Supreme Council for Financial and Economic Affairs.
If Etihad takes the IPO route, this will be the second UAE carrier to sell its shares to the public.
Reuters reported last week of February that the Abu Dhabi-based airline will announce a $1 billion IPO within a week.
The news about the Etihad IPO has been hitting the media headlines over the past few years. It will be one of the most sought-after IPOs in the UAE and is expected to see strong interest from institutional and retail investors.
Some media outlets reported earlier this year that the airline could delay its IPO to 2026 to realign its strategy following the exit of ultra-low-cost carrier Wizz Air.
