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Etihad Airways posts record Dh2.6 billion 2025 profit, plans Dh80 billion investment
The carrier’s passenger numbers increased 21 per cent year-on-year to 22.4 million, positioning Etihad as the fastest growing global full-service network carrier in the world
- PUBLISHED: Tue 24 Feb 2026, 12:00 PM UPDATED: Tue 24 Feb 2026, 1:16 PM
Etihad Airways plans to invest a massive Dh80 billion ($21.8 billion) in new aircraft purchases and product development over the next 10 years, as it announced a record profit for 2025 on Tuesday.
“We have a plan to invest Dh80 billion in the next 10 years in new aircraft, new products and product enhancements. We're going to receive about 20 aircraft per year for the next five years. This is a sector that you're going to be careful with. We have our foot grounded, but we have a lot of ambition. We have to keep working hard and follow our strategy,” Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways, said during a virtual media conference on Tuesday to announce the results.
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In December 2025, Neves said the airline planned to invest $10 billion (Dh36.7 billion) over the next five years in new aircraft.
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He said on Tuesday that the airline’s strategy is coming together very well as it is improving consistently year-on-year.
The Abu Dhabi-based airline said Etihad Airways profit grew 47 per cent year-on-year to Dh2.6 billion in 2025 on the back of strong growth in passenger and cargo businesses.
The UAE’s national carrier said passenger numbers increased 21 per cent year-on-year to 22.4 million, positioning Etihad as the fastest growing global full-service network carrier in the world.
The carrier carried 22.4 million passengers, supported by a 21 per cent capacity increase year-on-year, with available seat kilometres (ASK) reaching 111.5 billion. Demand remained strong across the network, with the passenger load factor rising two percentage points year-on-year to 88.3 per cent, demonstrating the execution capability of Etihad’s teams.
Its total revenue increased 21 per cent year-on-year to Dh30.7 billion, driven by expansion across both passenger and cargo businesses.
Passenger revenue rose by 24 per cent year-on-year to Dh25.8 billion (US $7 billion), reflecting increased capacity, sustained demand, improved load factor and stronger yields.
Cargo revenue increased by eight per cent to Dh4.5 billion, supported by higher capacity and volumes, with cargo volumes rising nine per cent.
Operating performance strengthened further, with EBITDA increasing by 37 per cent year-on-year to Dh6.3 billion, translating into an EBITDA margin of 20 per cent, up two percentage points year-on-year.
Strong profitability continued to translate into robust cash generation, with cash flow from operations reaching almost Dh8 billion, enabling the airline to fully fund its Capex requirement for the year, while deleveraging the balance sheet.
“2025 has been a defining year for Etihad, delivering our strongest performance across every key metric and marking our fourth consecutive year of profitability. These results confirm that our strategy is working,” said Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways.
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. As the national airline of the UAE, Etihad plays a central role in advancing Abu Dhabi’s global connectivity, tourism growth and economic diversification, supporting the emirate’s long-term ambitions.”
Etihad’s growth in 2025 accounted for approximately 50 per cent of total passenger growth in the UAE, based on projected airline traffic performance across the country.
The airline said its operating fleet expanded to 127 aircraft, the largest in Etihad’s history, following 29 aircraft added to its fleet during the year.
