Etihad Airways is in major expansion mode at the moment, in a project known as Journey 2030. With this, the airline is looking to grow significantly, both in terms of its fleet and its number of destinations.
In late 2024, the airline announced its biggest expansion ever, where it announced 10 new routes in one day. Now the airline has announced seven additional new routes, with one launching late this year, and six launching in early 2026. Let’s go over the details.
In this post:
Details of Etihad’s latest route expansion
Etihad has revealed plans to add flights to seven new destinations, as part of its ongoing strategy to bring more point-to-point traffic directly to Abu Dhabi. Here are the seven new destinations, along with launch dates and frequencies:
- Medina, Saudi Arabia (MED) — 6x weekly flights launching November 9, 2025
- Baku, Azerbaijan (GYD) — 10x weekly flights launching March 2, 2026
- Yerevan, Armenia (EVN) — 10x weekly flights launching March 9, 2026
- Tbilisi, Georgia (TBS) — 8x weekly flights launching March 13, 2026
- Almaty, Kazakhstan (ALA) — 8x weekly flights launching March 16, 2026
- Bucharest, Romania (OTP) — 4x weekly flights launching March 16, 2026
- Tashkent, Uzbekistan (TAS) — 6x weekly flights launching March 17, 2026
The flights are expected to go on sale over the coming days. With this latest announcement, this brings Etihad’s total number of new destinations for 2025 to 27. That’s an unbelievable growth pace, when you consider that the airline started the year with under 80 destinations.
All of these destinations cover a distance of somewhere between 941 miles and 2,121 miles. It’s not yet clear what aircraft will be used for these new routes, though I’d expect they’ll primarily be operated by narrow body jets (Etihad is taking delivery of brand new A321LRs, though perhaps the regional A320-family jets will largely be used for these flights).
Here’s how Etihad CEO Antonoaldo Neves describes these additions:
“Our goal is clear, we want to bring more people directly to Abu Dhabi. These new routes connect us to fast-growing, culturally rich regions and will help stimulate demand for tourism and trade in the UAE’s capital.”
“From the spiritual significance of Medina to the historic charm of Tbilisi and Yerevan, and the modern vibrancy of cities like Baku and Almaty, each destination adds depth to our growing network and attracts travellers with diverse interests.”
“With these seven additions, Etihad will have announced or commenced operations to 27 new routes in a single year – a remarkable milestone that reflects our ambition and commitment to Abu Dhabi’s growth.
“Whether for business or leisure, guests can expect a seamless journey and world-class hospitality that reflects Etihad’s elevated service. These connections make it easier than ever to experience everything Abu Dhabi has to offer.”
My take on Etihad’s latest expansion
I don’t think these seven new destinations are going to catch anyone off guard, or rock the boat. Quite to the contrary, I suspect most people not familiar with the specifics of Etihad’s route network may be surprised that these destinations aren’t already served by the airline. A couple of things stand out here.
First of all, it’s interesting that this announcement comes one day after Wizz Air announced it would shut down its Wizz Air Abu Dhabi subsidiary, and a majority of these newly announced routes are currently served by Wizz Air.
I doubt the routes or the timing of the announcement are a coincidence, as it would be much more difficult for Etihad to operate these routes while going head-to-head against an ultra low cost carrier.
I also find it noteworthy how Etihad is framing these new routes. Typically new routes from Gulf carriers are all about connecting traffic and building global connectivity, but Etihad is pretty clear here with the intent — it’s part of its “ongoing strategy to bring more point-to-point traffic directly to Abu Dhabi,” to “strengthen Abu Dhabi’s position as a thriving hub for tourism, culture, and commerce.”
I’m not sure if Etihad is just marketing it this way for optics, and because it’s owned by the government. But that’s framed a little differently than the typical route announcements we see from Gulf carriers. There’s not even a mention of how these routes fit into the larger network.
Either way, I’m pleased to see these new route additions. The frequencies are a bit funny to me — no routes are daily, but some are more than daily, which is perhaps a bit surprising for a new, point-to-point market. We should learn more in the coming days, as these flights are put on sale.
Bottom line
Etihad has announced plans to launch service to seven new destinations, including Almaty, Baku, Bucharest, Medina, Tashkent, Tbilisi, and Yerevan. In total, this means the airline has announced 27 new destinations in recent times, which is mighty impressive.
There are no additions here that I’d consider to be particularly shocking, and if anything, the collapse of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi should help with the economics of this service.
What do you make of Etihad’s latest expansion announcement?
This growth is not sustainable. Feels like they are going back to their old ways. They have barely launched any of their original 10 destinations, and they have already planned 17 more cities. Does not feel like they are making business decisions when they announce these route launches. Feels like the government is just telling them to open these routes.
Some interesting additions. The Baku flight is an interesting one and I think will be welcomed given Azerbaijan’s land borders are still closed and AZAL very much has a monopoly on air travel in the country.
Tashkent and Almaty will almost certainly serve tourism demand to the broader UAE although I think capturing transit passengers will be a struggle. Turkish airlines and Pegasus have that pretty locked down demand wise and both usually have...
Some interesting additions. The Baku flight is an interesting one and I think will be welcomed given Azerbaijan’s land borders are still closed and AZAL very much has a monopoly on air travel in the country.
Tashkent and Almaty will almost certainly serve tourism demand to the broader UAE although I think capturing transit passengers will be a struggle. Turkish airlines and Pegasus have that pretty locked down demand wise and both usually have more attractive fares although I’m sure there there are some who might be willing to pay a premium to avoid the hellhole that is Sabiha Gökçen airport.
Etihad has quite some history of serving both Almaty and Astana pre-pandemic years. It's in no way "a new destination" for them. But a lot has changed since then, disposable incomes plummeted and Etihad is a full service, premium airline. The local carrier - Air Astana - dropped the service earlier this year, having operated the route for couple of months
Are they part of the challenge?
I'd better fly to beautiful Tbilissi or Yerevan rather than Algiers or Peshawar...
This is super good news. I'd been planning a trip to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and have some Guest Miles burning a hole in my pocket. This could be a great use for them to get to/from Tashkent.
Having visited Tashkent and Samarkand this spring on QR, this new link to Uzbekistan is great. My whole solo trip was impressive: friendly locals, delicious foods, affordable everything and fascinating Silk Road history. It’s been a long time since so many expectations were exceeded in a new destination.
We need Japan / Hiroshima or Fukuoka
Can’t speak for the other destinations, but lots of point-to-point traffic between central Asian countries (Uzbekistan & Kazakhstan) and the UAE due to easy visa policies. Huge Uzbek and Kazakh diaspora in the UAE too. Though this group tends to be very price sensitive. Wizz Air used to offer the cheapest Tashkent - UAE flights, so much so that many Uzbeks flew wizz air to Abu Dhabi, and then took a bus to Dubai.
I´d theorize that with Wizz Air pulling out, the government of Abu Dhabi is getting Etihad to step in to fill the gap, rather than Etihad seeing a new opportunity
They've already flown to most of these places. I think Tbilisi and Bucharest are the only new ones. Maybe Tashkent too. Otherwise Etihad already flew to all of these places in the past. And make no mistake, they may say it's all about tourists going to and from Abu Dhabi. That's nice talk, but on most flights it's still 80%+ just transiting. I love Abu Dhabi but it's still a far way from being a destination in its own right.
There even more routes i.e. to Kraków (Poland) as of '26
Having experienced a handful of Etihad flights, I can attest to the satisfaction of doing so. As the new routes into the Silk Route ‘stans appeals to those of us with a sense of adventure, I look forward to learning more …. Ben?
This is super good news. I'd been planning a trip to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and have some Guest Miles burning a hole in my pocket. This could be a great use for them to get to/from Tashkent.
MissingScurrah …. if you need to dispose of your miles, remember me …. :-)
I was already flying Etihad from SFO to Almaty via Abu Dhabi with the help of FlyDubai, bookable at Etihad’s website
Since when is there a SFO-AUH flight? Also, flydubai doesn't fly out of AUH... I think you're mixing up Emirates and Etihad :)