ABU DHABI- United Arab Emirates, 29 Jan: Abu Dhabi’s airports handled over 33 million passengers in 2025, the highest annual traffic in the emirate’s history, the operator announced Wednesday.
The flagship Zayed International Airport (AUH) accounted for 98% of this traffic. It saw 8.59 million passengers in the fourth quarter alone, a 13.8% increase from the same period last year.
The milestone marks the first time Abu Dhabi’s annual passenger count has crossed 30 million. It is also the 19th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth for the emirate’s five airports.
The growth was driven by network expansion, with 39 new routes and seven new airlines added at AUH. Carriers like China Eastern and Ethiopian Airlines launched or increased services to global destinations including Atlanta, Berlin and Hong Kong.
Cargo volumes also rose significantly, with nearly 770,000 tonnes handled across the airports, up 12% year-on-year.
“Surpassing the 33 million passenger milestone is a clear indicator of our operational readiness to meet growing global demand,” said Ahmed Juma Al Shamisi, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports.
The operator runs five commercial airports in the emirate, including Al Ain International and Al Bateen Executive Airport.