Abu Dhabi Airports sees 13% rise in passenger numbers despite airspace disruptions
Zayed International Airport, the UAE's second-largest air base and a key international hub connected to over 120 passenger destinations, played a central role in the surge. It recorded 15.5 million passengers by the end of June — a 13.2 percent year-on-year increase, according to the UAE's official news agency WAM.
The government-owned operator showed resilience, maintaining steady growth in both passenger traffic and flight movements despite regional disruptions caused by a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran. The unrest led to airspace closures across the Gulf, including the UAE, resulting in flight suspensions and rerouting.
Elena Sorlini, managing director and CEO at Abu Dhabi Airports, said: 'Consistently delivering positive growth for the past 17 quarters is testament to the dedication and collective effort of the entire Abu Dhabi Airports team.'
She added: 'It reflects our operational agility and commitment to delivering an exceptional aviation experience and attracting international investors.'
This increase in passenger traffic was accompanied by 133,533 total flights across the five airports in the first half of 2025, marking a 9.2 percent rise compared to the same period last year, according to the WAM report.
Zayed International Airport recorded 93,858 aircraft movements during the first half, up 11.4 percent from 84,286 flights in the first six months of 2024.
Etihad Airways temporarily halted some regional flights amid the tensions. Meanwhile, Wizz Air recently announced plans to exit Abu Dhabi from Sept. 1, citing geopolitical instability and airspace restrictions.
Abu Dhabi Airports pushed ahead with network expansion, introducing 16 new destinations and onboarding several new airline partners in the first half of the year.
These include China Eastern Airlines' four-times-weekly Shanghai service, which will become daily in September; Air Seychelles' six weekly flights; and Fly Cham's route to Damascus.
Indian carrier IndiGo also added new services to Madurai, Bhubaneswar, and Visakhapatnam, making Zayed International its most connected hub in the UAE.
Cargo volumes also rose, reaching 344,795 tonnes in the first half of the year, supported by infrastructure upgrades and growing trade flows through the emirate.
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'This contrasts with the often secular and market-oriented frameworks of conventional MDBs.' Governance is another differentiator. 'IsDB's governance model is rooted in the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation), with its members being exclusively Islamic countries,' he said. This allows for a greater cultural and strategic alignment among its stakeholders, while conventional MDBs tend to have a broader, more diverse global membership, he noted. Al-Alshiekh also underlined the principle of solidarity that guides the bank's resource allocation. 'The IsDB emphasizes 'Islamic solidarity', often prioritizing needs-based resource allocation and South-South cooperation, in contrast to performance-based lending criteria or conditionalities common in conventional MDBs,' he said.
