Etihad Airways issues travel advisory ahead of record winter travel in Abu Dhabi

Etihad readies smooth travel experience amid record guest numbers this winter

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2 MIN READ
To support a convenient journey, Etihad encourages guests to take advantage of the airline’s digital services, early check-in options.
To support a convenient journey, Etihad encourages guests to take advantage of the airline’s digital services, early check-in options.
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Dubai: Etihad Airways is set for a record winter travel period, with December expected to see over 2 million guests passing through Abu Dhabi. Demand is rising as UAE residents travel during school holidays and international visitors are drawn to the capital’s expanding cultural and leisure attractions. This surge reflects Abu Dhabi’s growing appeal as a global destination and Etihad’s network expansion throughout 2025.

New routes and increased frequencies on popular markets combined with improved transit options at Zayed International Airport will offer travellers a seamless journey. Etihad and its airport partners have worked to ensure efficiency in operations to handle peak season traffic smoothly.

Tips for travellers during peak season

Etihad advises guests to arrive three hours before flights to allow ample time for check-in, security, and relaxation in lounges or spas. The airline encourages use of its digital services such as the Etihad App, which offers early check-in from 30 hours before departure, real-time updates, and baggage tracking.

From December 1, passengers flying to the US can use offsite City Check-In at key Abu Dhabi locations, including the Cruise Terminal. Early Bag Drop and Home Check-In services are available to save time, especially benefiting families and groups.

Streamlined connections across global destinations

Etihad operates smooth one-stop connections through Abu Dhabi to destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America. This growing network supports increased travel convenience for global passengers.

Travel perks

Travellers can further enhance their visits using the Abu Dhabi Pass, which offers discounts at landmarks such as Louvre Abu Dhabi, Qasr Al Watan, and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The pass also provides complimentary local SIM or eSIM with data, supporting connectivity while exploring the Emirate’s cultural and entertainment offerings during winter.

Nivetha Dayanand is Assistant Business Editor at Gulf News, covering aviation, financial markets and commodities. A business and financial journalist with a strong interest in multimedia storytelling, she regularly takes complex financial and economic subjects beyond the written word, producing explainer videos that make them easier for a wider audience to understand. Nivetha has interviewed senior policymakers, business leaders and global financial figures both on and off camera. Her past guests include UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Khaled bin Alwaleed Al Saud, a member of the House of Saud and the founder and CEO of KBW Ventures, Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund and Indian ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and N. Chandrababu Naidu. She has also hosted and moderated panels, conferences and awards shows, bringing her newsroom experience to live conversations on business, finance and the economy. An Erasmus Mundus journalism alum, Nivetha is drawn to stories that affect people directly and to reporting that gives a platform to voices that might otherwise go unheard. She was among the first journalists to speak to Petrofac employees in the UAE about unpaid salaries, broke the news of the planned demolition of Dubai’s well-known “Toyota Building”, and helped set the record straight on widely circulated claims that a giant replica of the Moon was coming to Dubai. More recently, her exclusive interview with EDGE Group CEO Hamad Al Marar revealed how the UAE-based defence group deployed its systems along the country’s shore border and established a geofence around the UAE within 48 hours of the February 28 escalation. Prior to joining Gulf News, Nivetha worked at ITP Media, where she helped launch Finance Middle East, a new publication covering the region’s financial sector. Her role spanned reporting and editing, video production, interviews and events. Across print, digital, and video, she focuses on finding the people behind business stories and explaining why those stories matter to the audience reading or watching them.

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