Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways at a glance
Etihad Airways is the flag carrier of the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, flying about 110 aircraft from the new Zayed International Airport to some 90 destinations. Founded in 2003 and famous for cabins like The Residence, it burned billions on an equity-alliance strategy in the 2010s before a deep restructuring returned it to profit.
Under Antonoaldo Neves the airline is in expansion mode again, this time organically: the Journey 2030 plan targets a doubling of the fleet toward 170+ aircraft and 38 million passengers, funded by record results and a 2025 listing on the Abu Dhabi exchange that made it the Gulf's first major publicly traded airline.
Fleet
Etihad's fleet centers on the 787 and A350-1000, with reactivated A380s carrying its famous Residence suite and long-range A321neos opening thinner routes.
| Aircraft | Role | Fleet Size |
|---|---|---|
| Airbus A350-1000 | Flagship alongside the A380 | ~10 |
| Airbus A380-800 | Reactivated for London and premium trunk routes | ~10 |
| Boeing 777-300ER | Long-haul workhorse | ~10 |
| Airbus A321neo | Narrowbody growth including long-range LRs | ~30 |
Hub & route network
Zayed International Airport, the striking terminal opened in late 2023, is Etihad's Abu Dhabi hub, from which the airline reaches about 90 destinations and adds new routes at a pace few rivals match, more than 25 in 2025 alone.Alliance & partnerships
Etihad abandoned its equity-alliance era and now grows through conventional partnerships and codeshares across Air France-KLM, Korean Air and dozens of carriers, staying outside the global alliances.Group structure
Owned by Abu Dhabi's ADQ, Etihad listed a minority stake on the Abu Dhabi bourse in 2025 in the Gulf's first major airline IPO of its era; the airline is profitable and growing after the losses of its 2010s equity-stakes strategy.Full specifications
Latest Etihad Airways coverage from AeroTime
Frequently asked questions
No. Etihad stays outside the global alliances, growing through codeshares and partnerships with carriers including Air France-KLM and Korean Air.
A growth strategy targeting roughly a doubling of the fleet to 170+ aircraft and 38 million annual passengers by 2030, with dozens of new routes already added.
Abu Dhabi state holding company ADQ, with a minority stake publicly listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange since 2025.