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.

Etihad Airways will deploy Viasat’s next-generation connectivity solution, Viasat Amara, across its entire fleet as part of its ongoing commitment to deliver a world-class guest experience. The expansion, announced today by the Abu Dhabi-based airline and Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global leader in satellite communications, builds on a successful multi-year collaboration. Onboard Etihad aircraft, Viasat will power high-speed connectivity that enables guests to access streaming subscriptions on personal devices, to view Live TV on the aircraft seatback IFE screens—providing a variety of news and sports channels for guests’ enjoyment—and to utilize applications for social media scrolling, browsing, shopping, and more.

Etihad Airways has commenced flights from Abu Dhabi to Medina this week, further expanding the airline’s strong footprint in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and enhancing travel options for guests across religious, business and leisure segments. The resumed direct service connects Abu Dhabi with Medina, one of the most spiritually significant cities in the world and a key destination for visitors performing religious travel throughout the year. The route will support growing demand from pilgrims and travellers across the world seeking seamless connections to the Kingdom’s holy city. Medina becomes the latest addition to Etihad’s operations in the Kingdom, reinforcing the UAE’s national carrier as a major facilitator of travel to and from Saudi Arabia. With the launch of flights to Medina, Etihad will operate 93 flights per week to five cities across the Kingdom, flying four times per day to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, and three services per week to Al Qassim. This expansion is part of Etihad’s ambitious growth strategy, announcing 31 new destinations in a year.

Etihad Airways has reached a new milestone in its growth story, now operating 300 scheduled passenger flights per day. This achievement is underpinned by strong growth in 2025, highlighted by an over 20% year-on-year increase in daily flights, positioning Etihad among the fastest-growing full-service airlines globally. It reflects the airline’s strongest performance to date, driven by operational excellence, sustained passenger demand, and continued network expansion. All 300 daily flights are scheduled passenger services, underscoring Etihad’s role in connecting people and cultures while advancing Abu Dhabi’s position as one of the world’s most connected and accessible cities.

Etihad Airways has concluded a landmark week of global growth with the successful launch of flights to Krabi, Thailand, celebrating four new routes in one week, including Sumatra (Medan, Indonesia), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). The inaugural flights to all four new destinations were sold out, demonstrating a strong demand for the new routes and the airline’s successful trajectory towards its ambitious growth plans.