In order to speed up expansion, UAE-based Etihad Airways is investing USD 10 billion in new aircraft over the next five years, lifting its fleet target to 200 jets by 2030 from the earlier planned 170, said the flag carrier’s Group CEO Antonoaldo Neves at the Dubai Airshow 2025.
“If you look at the capital deployment that we are going to have over the next five years, we are going to be investing USD 10 billion in new aircraft or USD 2 billion per year. We have another USD 37 billion coming from our own cash flow generation, so essentially, it’s on us to finance our growth,” he said.
Neves also confirmed that the Abu Dhabi carrier, which is speculated to go public in 2026, is ready to roll out its IPO as needed.
“We are ready to go. We could go public anytime. But that is not an objective function that we have as a management or as a board. When companies usually go public, it is to finance growth. We don’t need that,” the Group CEO continued.
Abu Dhabi sovereign investor ADQ retains full ownership of Etihad Airways, which reported 20% year-on-year growth and a 25% increase in September.
During the Dubai Airshow, the airline announced a major expansion of its widebody fleet with 32 additional Airbus aircraft, further accelerating the flag carrier’s growth and reinforcing its position as one of the world’s fastest-growing full-service players.
The agreement includes a mix of A350-1000s, A350F freighters, and A330-900s through both direct orders and lease commitments, with first deliveries beginning in 2027, which also marks one of the earliest widebody availability windows in the global aviation market.
This new commitment follows Etihad Airways’ agreement earlier in 2025 for 28 additional Boeing widebody aircraft, bringing the airline’s total new widebody orders for 2025 to 60 across the two major aviation giants.