Batool Ghaith (Abu Dhabi)

At the 2025 Dubai Airshow, Etihad Airways is showcasing its future-focused growth strategy grounded in guest-centric innovation, operational agility and sustainability.

Captain Majed Al Marzouqi, Chief Operations and Guest Officer at Etihad Airways, shared the airline's ambitious outlook during the global aviation showcase, emphasising that the core of Etihad's strategy is putting the guest experience first.

"From the customer service perspective, it is not about flying the same type of aircraft, it is about making sure our guests enjoy a harmonised experience regardless of the aircraft they fly on," Al Marzouqi told Aletihad.

He noted that the national carrier has taken delivery of a new A321LR this year, calling it a "game-changer" that allows the airline to offer a premium product on thinner routes while maintaining flexibility and network expansion.

"We can deploy the A321LR to cities like Tunis, Phnom Penh, or Copenhagen, where wide-body aircraft may not be feasible. It is about matching the right aircraft to the route," he explained.

Etihad's Journey 2030 strategy is already producing strong results, Al Marzouqi said."We carried over 20 million passengers in the last year, an 18% year-on-year increase and the highest ever in our history," he said, noting that Etihad had reported a Dh1.7 billion profit in the first nine months of 2025.

On the sustainability front, Etihad was named Environmental Airline of the Year for the third year running.

"We've seen a 45.3% improvement in passenger carbon intensity and continue to scale contrail management and climate-optimised flight planning," Al Marzouqi said.

He highlighted the partnerships with SATAVIA and Gold Standard as examples of Etihad's efforts to mitigate over 6,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

When it comes to technology, Etihad is fully on board, the Captain said.

With AI-driven dynamic pricing pilots and smarter decision-making tools, Etihad aims to scale to over 37 million passengers by 2030 without compromising service or profitability, he noted.

Looking ahead, Etihad will continue to strengthen Abu Dhabi's position as a global hub.

"We are exceeding targets," Al Marzouqi said, pointing to the announcement of 31 new destinations and a strategy to attract more point-to-point traffic and tourism through initiatives like the Abu Dhabi Stopover Programme.

Al Marzouqi added that this is the first time in the airline's history that Etihad has launched 31 new destinations in a single year, marking a significant milestone in its growth journey.