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MENAFN- Mid-East Info)
AUH becomes EMEA's fastest-growing mega airport after record 32.5m passengers
First time in history that Abu Dhabi's annual traffic has crossed 30m passengers
Traffic across five airports marks 19th straight quarter of double-digit passenger growth
Abu Dhabi, UAE,January 2026: Abu Dhabi Airports, operator of the emirate's five airports including the flagship Zayed International Airport (AUH), recorded more than 33m annual passengers in 2025, the largest influx of travellers in the emirate's history. This sustained trajectory has seen traffic volumes across the emirate's five airports double over the past three years, while AUH has emerged as the fastest-growing mega airport in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region based on the latest traffic figures.
Surpassing all previous traffic records for the emirate was made possible by the continued expansion of the airport's international network, with airlines adding new destinations, increasing frequencies on high-demand routes, and deepening connectivity across key markets in EMEA and Asia. In total, AUH's network expanded with 39 route launches and the addition of 7 new airlines. In its second full year of operations, AUH accounted for roughly 98% of all passenger traffic and 73% of aircraft movements as it recorded 8.59 million passengers through its gates in Q4 2025, an increase of 13.8% year-on-year.
This unprecedented growth was bolstered by an expanded network, as carriers 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 spanned from major hubs like Addis Ababa, Atlanta, and Hong Kong to emerging markets including Berlin, Hanoi, Pune and Warsaw.
AUH also witnessed several days throughout the year when traffic crossed the milestone 100,000 passengers/day figure, a key marker of efficiency and success at airports that reinforces AUH's position as a preferred hub for both point-to-point and transfer traffic.
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 has marked a year of significant firsts for Abu Dhabi Airports including a record 19th consecutive time that passenger traffic has experienced double-digit growth and the first time that annual traffic across the emirate's five airports has crossed 30 million passengers. These results reflect a consistent, multi-year trajectory driven by network expansion, airline partnerships, and continued investment in capacity and passenger experience.
Traffic at Abu Dhabi's other airports including Al Bateen Executive Airport (AZI) and Al Ain International Airport (AAN) has also been growing. Aircraft movements at AZI were up 15.3% in Q4 2025 vs the same period last year, and up 7% annually. Meanwhile, AAN witnessed significant passenger traffic growth, up 48.1% over Q4 2024 and 9.2% annually.
Cargo volumes at Abu Dhabi Airports also grew significantly in 2025. Nearly 770,000 tonnes of cargo were handled across the emirate's five airports during the year, up 12% year-on-year, highlighting the growing appeal of routing trade through corridors that the emirate facilitates.
The year also marked several other achievements, including being crowned Best Airport for Retail at the 2025 Frontier Awards and receiving recognition as Highly Commended at the 2025 Aviation Business Awards. AUH was also awarded ACI's Level 2 Accessibility Accreditation, and a coveted Level 3 Customer Experience Accreditation, while also receiving awards for its cutting-edge technology systems and passenger experience initiatives.
About Abu Dhabi Airports:
Abu Dhabi Airports operates five commercial airports in the emirate: Zayed International Airport (AUH), Al Ain International Airport (AAN), Al Bateen Executive Airport (AZI), Delma Island Airport (ZDY) and Sir Bani Yas Island Airport (XSB). Having welcomed over 33 million passengers through its airports in 2025, Abu Dhabi Airports is a gateway to the Emirates for travellers worldwide. It works towards its vision of positioning Abu Dhabi as a leading global aviation hub. Since November 2023, passengers travelling through Zayed International Airport have had the privilege of experiencing the new state-of-the-art terminal, which has significantly increased the airport's operational capacity and features world-class facilities for passengers and aviation operators while strengthening Abu Dhabi's reputation as a destination of choice.
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