Etihad Airways continued its positive performance as one of the fastest growing global carriers last month, welcoming 1.6 million guests during the month, up 14 percent compared to the same period last year. This brings the total guest numbers to 5 million in the first quarter of 2025, up from 4.3 million guests in the same quarter last year.
“Our guest numbers saw further strong growth, and across the 12 months to the end of March 2025, we have welcomed almost 20 million passengers. In the past month alone, we have announced two new routes and increased flight frequencies, bringing the total number of new destinations scheduled for 2025 to 16,” stated Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways.
Passenger load factor hits 87 percent
The airline recorded a passenger load factor of 87 percent in the first quarter of the year, up from 86 percent in the same period in 2024, while expanding its capacity and increasing its operating fleet size by 10 percent.
“I am very pleased to report we recorded our highest ever customer satisfaction scores in March, reflecting our continued commitment to delivering an exceptional travel experience,” added Neves.
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Etihad Airways announces 16 new destinations
This week, the airline unveiled its latest global expansion with flights to Peshawar, Pakistan, starting September 29, 2025. This expansion follows the recent addition of Addis Ababa to Etihad’s network and marks the airline’s sixteenth new destination in 2025. Alongside Peshawar, Etihad Airways has also announced new routes to Prague, Warsaw, Algiers, Tunis and Atlanta, while also increasing frequencies to key European cities, including Paris, Milan, Manchester, Frankfurt, Zurich and Madrid.
Last month, Etihad Airways also strengthened its presence in Russia with a significant capacity increase on its Abu Dhabi-Moscow route, providing enhanced travel options between the Middle East and Russia. Staring October 1, the airline is adding a third daily flight between Abu Dhabi and Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO), increasing the service to 21 flights per week.
In March, the airline also opened the bookings for flights to Medan, the gateway to North Sumatra, Indonesia. The airline will start flights between Kualanamu International Airport (KNO), Medan, and Zayed International Airport, Abu Dhabi (AUH) on October 2, 2025. Etihad will fly to and from Medan on one of its new A321LR aircraft three times a week. The destination is just one of 14 already announced by Etihad this year, with more expected to come.
