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Dhaka: Etihad Airways is set to launch 27 new destinations by the end of 2025—a bold move that highlights the UAE national carrier’s rapid global expansion.
The airline has already more than doubled its annual passenger numbers, soaring from 10 million to over 20 million in just two and a half years.
According to CEO Antonoaldo Neves, this growth is the result of careful planning, disciplined execution, and the agility to adapt amid global shifts.
“About two and a half years ago, we committed to a diligent and disciplined growth strategy,” Neves said. “Success, for us, means sticking to the plan while staying flexible.”
He likened the approach to football legend Cristiano Ronaldo—disciplined yet agile—emphasising that with strong shareholder backing, the airline’s focus remains on delivering results through smart, adaptable execution.
The last 12 months have seen Etihad flying high, breaking records and achieving new milestones at an astonishing rate, delivering a record Q1 with a profit of Dh685 million and the highest-ever customer satisfaction scores. “We are the only airline in the region growing at this pace, and we have no intention of slowing down. 2025 is proving to be our biggest year yet."
He explained that while some recent launches, such as Atlanta, Almaty, Prague, Sochi, and Warsaw, are already operational, the remaining new routes will be progressively introduced.
“So, for instance, these seven new destinations that were just announced were in our 2026 and 2027 plans. But because supply and demand were, let’s say, unbalanced, when one of our competitors decided to leave, we said, 'Look, we need to take the opportunity so that supply and demand are balanced again.,” explained Neves.
“So the way we approach it is with a lot of agility, and we still have destinations that are going to start. I'm not going to deny it’s a lot of work,” he added.
-B
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