Etihad to hire up to 3,000 staff a year as fleet grows by 20 aircraft annually

Abu Dhabi: UAE’s national airline Etihad Airways plans to continue large-scale recruitment as it expands its fleet, with the airline expecting to hire between 2,500 and 3,000 people per year over the next five years.

The guidance follows a year of significant hiring in 2025, when the Abu Dhabi carrier recruited more than 3,200 new employees and promoted around 2,200 staff across the organisation, it said on Tuesday.

Airline CEO Antonoaldo Neves said the airline expects to maintain a similar pace of recruitment going forward.

“We’re going to keep that range, from 2,500 to 3,000 hires per year, and we’re going to keep about 20 aircraft per year, so that’s more or less the ratio that we’re going to be doing for the next five years,” he explained.

Frontline recruitment remained a key focus in 2025, supporting network and fleet growth. The airline hired around 1,600 cabin crew and nearly 400 pilots during the year.

At the same time, Etihad continued to promote talent internally, with around 1,500 cabin crew promotions and nearly 150 pilot promotions, strengthening leadership depth and operational stability.

The airline said its workforce now represents 152 nationalities, reflecting its global operations. It also maintained a focus on developing UAE National talent through cadet pilot programmes and leadership initiatives.

Etihad added 29 aircraft in 2025, bringing its fleet to 127, the largest in its history. The airline expects to receive around 20 aircraft per year over the coming years as part of its long-term expansion strategy.

Major aircraft orders announced in May and November are expected to support the airline’s next phase of growth, providing flexibility for network expansion and product development.