Etihad increasing flights to Sydney and Europe, eyeing possible IPO in 2025  

Etihad Airways has announced plans to increase its weekly services between Abu Dhabi and Sydney amid a range of frequency increases over the coming months. Unveiling its summer 2025 schedule, Etihad is continuing its journey to serve its main destinations on a double daily basis, with many routes to Europe being upgraded to this service level for the first time. 

In terms of Sydney, the carrier will be increasing its direct flights from the existing seven to 10 per week, doubling up on three days per week. The increase is scheduled to take effect in July 2025. Also in the Asia-Pacific region, the airline will be introducing a new daily flight between Abu Dhabi and Denpasar in Bali for the northern summer season. 

Elsewhere on its network, Etihad will be introducing double daily flights from Abu Dhabi to major European cities including Paris, Milan, Rome, Manchester, Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Barcelona, and Madrid. Additionally, the carrier’s seasonal flights to Malaga in Spain will increase to five flights per week.  

According to the airline, the new daily European flights are “timed for more convenient morning and evening departures and arrivals, offering travelers the flexibility to choose the schedule that suits them.” 

Etihad“We are delivering on our strategic promise to serve more key destinations twice daily as fast as we can, and our summer schedule underscores our commitment to growth and further supporting tourism in Abu Dhabi,” Etihad Airways Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer, Arik De, said. “By aligning our schedule to offer 14:00 departures from Abu Dhabi, we provide guests with convenient check-out times from their hotels, allowing them to make the most of their stay in our beautiful city.” 

“Morning arrivals offer tourists the benefit of early hotel check-ins and extra time to explore the city’s attractions, and evening arrivals are ideal for those who prefer a seamless transition after work or other commitments. For business travelers, the schedules accommodate full working days at both the beginning and end of their trip,” he added.   

“Our commitment to providing remarkable travel experiences is stronger than ever, offering flights to the places our guests love, with flexible choices to match their schedule. We’re excited to add Warsaw and Prague to our network, and travelers can look forward to more route announcements very soon,” he concluded. 

IPO coming in 2025?  

In other news, industry chatter of a possible Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Etihad shares is gathering pace. As reported by several media outlets including the Cyprus Mail, the carrier plans to make its stock market debut no sooner than 2025. Such a move would be the first IPO of a major Gulf airline in what would be a milestone for Middle Eastern aviation. 

EtihadAccording to sources close to the process, Etihad, which is currently owned by sovereign wealth fund ADQ, had considered listing in 2024 but has decided to wait until 2025 once its 2024 financial results are published which it expects to show a strong performance. Geopolitical instability in the region has also affected possible timings, said one source.   

Under its “Journey 2030” strategy, Etihad plans to bolster Abu Dhabi’s role as a travel hub connecting Asia and Europe. It is currently targeting expansion across its expansive global network to serve over 125 airports by 2030 from over the 70 currently served. The frequency increases mentioned earlier also for part of that vision.  

It will also be growing its fleet from the 103 it currently operates to over 160 aircraft adding both Boeing and Airbus-built airframes in the coming years. 

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