Zayed International Airport handled 15.5 million travellers in the first half of 2025, up 13.2 per cent annually, driven by home carrier Etihad Airways' growth and the addition of new airlines serving Abu Dhabi.
Passenger traffic across Abu Dhabi's five airports grew 13.1 per cent year-on-year to 15.8 million in the January to June period, marking 17 consecutive quarters of growth, state-owned operator Abu Dhabi Airports said on Monday. The five airports are Zayed International, Al Ain International, Al Bateen Executive, Delma Island and Sir Bani Yas Island Airport.
"The first six months of this year have posed some operational challenges, yet our ... mid-year results demonstrate the resilience of our network and the collaborative partnerships that underpin our growth," said Elena Sorlini, managing director and chief executive at Abu Dhabi Airports.
The growth in airport traffic volume comes despite recent geopolitical tension in the Middle East. An Iranian strike on a US military base in neighbouring Qatar last month led to brief airspace closures in the Gulf.
The reported increase comes shortly after Wizz Air Abu Dhabi announced that from September it would no longer be operating from the emirate. In the first half of the year, 16 new destinations were added to Zayed International Airport's network. New airlines and routes include China Eastern Airlines’ Shanghai service, Air Seychelles’ six weekly flights and Syrian carrier Fly Cham’s flights to Damascus. IndiGo also expanded its presence at Zayed International, with new routes to Madurai, Bhubaneswar and Vishakhapatnam.
Air Arabia Abu Dhabi last week said it would increase operational capacity by 40 per cent in 2025 with the addition of four Airbus A320s to its fleet.
Zayed International Airport's traffic volume grew as home airline Etihad Airways carried more passengers and the emirate pushes to attract more international tourists.
During the first half of the year, Etihad Airways carried 10.2 million travellers, a 17 per cent annual rise. The average passenger load factor for the year to date stands at 87 per cent.
The airline is also revising its growth targets upwards to carry 38 million passengers by 2030, from a previous goal of 33 million, Antonoaldo Neves, Etihad's chief executive, told The National this month.
The Abu Dhabi-based airline aims to expand by 15 per cent every year until the end of the decade as it carries more passengers, adds 20 planes annually and reaps the benefits of joint venture partnerships with Ethiopian Airlines and China Eastern, he said.
Abu Dhabi is pursuing a strategy of drawing more international tourists and business visitors as it adds more attractions to its skyline and Mice events (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions).
"As Abu Dhabi’s tourism and trade prospects rapidly advance, our airports are well positioned to support and scale that growth," Ms Sorlini said.
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UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
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GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
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COMPANY PROFILE
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
