Etihad Airways CEO Antonoaldo Neves recently announced the airline’s ambitious plans for 2025, with a goal to carry 21. 5 million passengers by the end of the year. This is more than double the number of passengers the airline carried in 2022.
Neves shared that the key to this growth is a major expansion of the fleet, with 18 new aircraft expected to be delivered by the end of the year. Two aircraft have already been added to the fleet, with 16 more to come in the following months. This will bring the total number of aircraft to between 115 and 120 by the end of the year.
The CEO also highlighted the airline’s impressive performance trajectory, with Etihad Airways reaching financial break-even in 2022, achieving a 3% profit margin in 2023, and increasing that to around 6% last year. This year, the airline expects profit margins to range between 7-8%.
Neves emphasized that the company is following a strategy of gradually expanding margins each year and funding its growth through internal cash flows, leading to sustainable financial performance.
Regarding the global network, which currently has close to 100 destinations, the CEO explained that the growth strategy is not only about adding new routes but also increasing frequencies on existing routes. For example, flights to Frankfurt and Barcelona have doubled to twice daily, and Bangkok now receives five daily flights during peak periods.
He also mentioned that around two-thirds of the increased capacity is allocated to existing destinations, with only one-third targeting new routes. This highlights the airline’s focus on strengthening its market presence in established regions. For instance, Atlanta, which launched with five weekly flights, now operates daily. New York, which previously had one daily flight, now operates two, and all western destinations are now served with daily flights.
Neves confirmed that Etihad Airways’ strategy until 2030 is to strengthen its presence, particularly in markets within a four-hour flight radius, such as India, Pakistan, and the Middle East. The airline currently operates four daily flights to key destinations like Colombo, Riyadh, Jeddah, Mumbai, and Muscat, with flexible schedules to cater to diverse traveler segments. The aim is to offer at least two daily flights to all its destinations across Southeast Asia, Europe, and the eastern United States.
In a move to redefine regional travel, Neves revealed that Etihad will receive its first A321 Long Range aircraft this week in Hamburg. This will be the first narrow-body aircraft in the fleet to feature a first-class cabin with fully flat luxury seats, offering “the world’s best travel experience on a narrow-body aircraft.
Neves assured that Abu Dhabi International Airport has the capacity to support this growth, with plans to expand the fleet to around 200 aircraft and serve between 38-39 million passengers by 2030, effectively doubling the company’s size over the next five years.
The CEO praised the rapid development in Abu Dhabi, stating