Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, collected awards for the Airline with the Best Economy Class and Airline with the Best Cabin Crew for the sixth year in a row, at the 2026 Business Traveller Middle East Awards in Dubai on 18 June 2026. The accolades follow a string of wins for the airline this award season, with recognition also coming from the MENA Stevie Awards, the Business Traveller Cellars in the Sky Awards, the Aviation Achievement Awards, and the APEX Best Awards, bringing the airline’s tally to over 30 individual awards from international and regional industry bodies over the past 12 months.

Etihad Airways announced a significant expansion of its Africa network, adding new routes to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ghana, Nigeria and Zimbabwe from Abu Dhabi, as part of its continued global growth strategy. The new services reflect investment in high-growth markets, supporting increasing connectivity across trade, cargo and mobility.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has begun scheduled operations to North Carolina, with its inaugural flight arriving at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) earlier this month, operated by the airline’s modern Airbus A350-1000.  The new service connects the Charlotte region and communities throughout North Carolina and the broader Southeast to Etihad’s global network, supporting both passenger and freight connectivity and providing access to key destinations across India and Asia.

Etihad Airways has released its traffic statistics for January 2026, continuing the strong momentum that defined a record-breaking 2025 and reinforcing its position as one of the fastest-growing airlines in the world. The airline welcomed 2.2 million passengers in January, a 29 per cent increase compared with January 2025, when 1.7 million guests flew with Etihad. Passenger load factor reached 89.9 per cent for the month, up from 89.1 per cent a year earlier, reflecting sustained demand across the network and continued efficiency in capacity management.

Etihad Airways has enjoyed a golden year by collecting more than 25 prestigious international awards throughout 2025, with recognition spanning every aspect of the guest experience from cabin design to onboard catering, safety and operational excellence. The airline crowned the year by becoming only the fourth airline globally, and the first in the region, to attain the Seven-Star Plus Safety Rating from Airline Ratings, the highest accolade in the internationally respected safety ranking system. Earlier this month, Etihad secured three major global titles at the World Travel Awards Grand Final Gala Ceremony in Bahrain. The airline won World’s Leading Airline Customer Experience, World’s Leading Airline Economy Class, and World’s Leading Airline Lounge Business Class for the Premium Lounge at Zayed International Airport.

Etihad won three major World Travel Awards: World’s Leading Airline for Customer Experience, World’s Leading Economy Class, and World’s Leading Airline Business Class Lounge for its Premium Lounge at Zayed International Airport. Overall, the airline was nominated in 13 categories, highlighting its key role in promoting Abu Dhabi tourism globally.