Abu Dhabi Airports, the operator of the emirate's five commercial airports, announced that it received more than 15.8 million passengers from January 1 to June 30, 2025, a notable increase of 13.1% compared with the same period last year, 2024.
Zayed International Airport, the capital's main gateway, played a pivotal role in this growth, with 15.5 million passengers passing through it during the first half of the current year, representing an increase of 13.2% year on year, according to a press release published on the Abu Dhabi Airports website.
The increase in air traffic supported this positive performance, with 133,533 flights recorded across the five airports in the first half of 2025, an increase of 9.2% over the same period last year. Zayed International Airport alone recorded 93,858 air traffic movements, up 11.4% compared with 84,286 flights in the first half of 2024.
Expanding the network of global destinations is a key part of Abu Dhabi Airports' growth strategy. In the first six months of this year, 16 new destinations were added, along with attracting a number of new airlines, including China Eastern Airlines, which operates flights to Shanghai four times a week with daily operations starting in September, Air Seychelles with six weekly flights, and Fly Cham to Damascus.
Indian carrier IndiGo also strengthened its presence at Zayed International Airport by launching flights to Madurai, Bhubaneswar and Visakhapatnam, making it the airline's main gateway in the UAE.
Elena Sorlini, Managing Director and CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports, explained that despite the operational challenges we faced in the first half of this year, our exceptional results reflect the resilience of our network and the strength of the partnerships driving our growth.
She added that achieving continuous positive growth over 17 consecutive quarters reflects the commitment and ongoing efforts of our team members. This growth also confirms our operational resilience and our appeal to global investors. In parallel with the accelerating growth of Abu Dhabi's tourism and trade sectors, we support this growth and its expansion.
The first half of 2025 saw a range of achievements across Abu Dhabi Airports, most notably the completion of the rehabilitation of Sir Bani Yas Airport, underscoring the company's commitment to developing the country's aviation infrastructure and supporting ecotourism in the Al Dhafra region.
Zayed International Airport received a "3 Pearl" rating under the Estidama program at the construction stage, and was also named "Best Airport in the World for Arrival Experience" for the third consecutive year by Airports Council International, as part of the 2024 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards, reinforcing its role as a global gateway to the capital, Abu Dhabi.
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