Etihad Airways adds seven new destinations to its expanding network

Etihad Airways has announced the addition of seven new destinations to its global route network, as part of the airline’s continued expansion strategy aimed at increasing direct connectivity to Abu Dhabi.

The new destinations include Almaty (Kazakhstan), Baku (Azerbaijan), Bucharest (Romania), Medina (Saudi Arabia), Tbilisi (Georgia), Tashkent (Uzbekistan), and Yerevan (Armenia). Services to these cities will begin in 2026, with Medina launching earlier in November 2025.

According to Etihad, these routes will support increased point-to-point travel and contribute to the development of Abu Dhabi as a growing centre for tourism, trade, and cultural exchange.

The airline plans to begin ticket sales in the coming days. The launch schedule includes:

• Medina – 6 weekly flights from 9 November 2025
• Baku – 10 weekly flights from 2 March 2026
• Yerevan – 10 weekly flights from 9 March 2026
• Tbilisi – 8 weekly flights from 13 March 2026
• Almaty – 8 weekly flights from 16 March 2026
• Bucharest – 4 weekly flights from 16 March 2026
• Tashkent – 6 weekly flights from 17 March 2026

The newly announced destinations are located across the Gulf region, Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. Each offers distinct cultural and tourism appeal, and forms part of Etihad’s broader goal of increasing global access to Abu Dhabi.

This development brings the total number of new routes Etihad has announced or launched in 2025 to 27. Earlier this year, the airline inaugurated services to Prague, Warsaw, Sochi, and Atlanta, and also revealed additional summer 2026 routes to Krakow (Poland), Salalah (Oman), and Kazan (Russia).

Etihad CEO Antonoaldo Neves emphasised that the additions are intended to drive inbound traffic to the UAE capital. “Our aim is to bring more visitors directly to Abu Dhabi while strengthening our position as a key international hub,” he said.