Abu Dhabi Airports, which operates five commercial airports in the emirate, announced 10.1% growth in passenger traffic during the third quarter of 2025, after welcoming 8.49 million passengers between July 1 and September 30, 2025, compared with the same period in 2024.
The company said that Zayed International Airport, the main gateway to the capital Abu Dhabi, led this growth, welcoming 8.35 million passengers through the end of September, up 10.4% year on year, according to a press release published on the Abu Dhabi Airports website.
The emirate's five airports also handled 67,035 flights during the same period, up 6% from last year, including 49,073 aircraft movements at Zayed International Airport, compared with 46,327 flights in the third quarter of 2024.
This strong performance marks the 18th consecutive quarter in which Abu Dhabi Airports has achieved double-digit growth in passenger traffic, reflecting the sustained pace of expansion of its flight network and the recovery of travel demand through the emirate.
Expansion of Air Networks and New Airlines
Abu Dhabi Airports has strengthened its global destination network by adding three new airlines since the beginning of the year:
China Eastern Airlines, with daily flights to Shanghai.
Air Seychelles, with 6 weekly flights.
Ethiopian Airlines, with daily flights to Addis Ababa.
Twelve new destinations have also been added to the network, including additional IndiGo routes to Madurai, Bhubaneswar and Visakhapatnam, as well as Jazeera Airways resuming its flights between Kuwait and Zayed and Al Ain international airports.
During the third quarter, Abu Dhabi Airports handled more than 200,000 tonnes of cargo, up 15.5% year on year, bringing the total handled since the beginning of the year to 545,511 tonnes. Zayed International Airport also won the title of "Best Airport for Shopping Experience" at the Frontier Awards 2025, in addition to receiving Level 2 accreditation for enhancing accessibility and Level 3 accreditation for customer experience from Airports Council International.
For her part, Elena Sorlini, Managing Director and CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports, said that recording the 18th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth is a global achievement that reflects the efficiency of our operations and the sustainability of our growth. She affirmed that Abu Dhabi Airports will continue to strengthen its position as a key enabler of the tourism and trade sectors and to deliver an exceptional travel experience that supports Abu Dhabi's global standing.
To view the post on the Abu Dhabi Airports website, click here.
