Page 307 - MOET ENGLISH PR REPORT - AUGUST 2025

8/14/25, 2:28 PM UAE airports receive 75.4 million passengers in H1 2025, record 5% growth - Aletihad News Center
UAE national carriers continued their global expansion during the first half of 2025, launching flights to 15 new

destinations across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

The new cities include destinations in Russia, Czech Republic, Poland, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Cambodia,

Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Croatia, and Ethiopia — further cementing the UAE’s status as a leading global aviation hub.

On this occasion, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, and Chairman of the General Civil

Aviation Authority (GCAA), stated, "Thanks to the directives of our wise leadership, the UAE continues to enhance its
global and regional standing as an international aviation hub, posting unprecedented growth rates driven by

innovative national initiatives and strategies. This has significantly strengthened the country’s competitiveness and

leadership in this vital sector, which today represents a key pillar for driving economic growth, diversifying income
sources, and supporting trade, tourism, investment, and job creation across all aviation-linked sectors."

He added, “The performance indicators for the first half of 2025 reflect the resilience and sustainability of the aviation

sector, as well as the competitiveness of the UAE’s airports, national carriers, and air navigation services. We see

aviation as a bridge connecting the UAE to the world and a key enabler for achieving our long-term economic
objectives. We will continue working to expand the country's air connectivity with global markets, supported by a

flexible and advanced regulatory framework, ambitious open skies policies, and ongoing infrastructure development

plans.”

Director-General of GCAA, Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, stated, "Thanks to the guidance and unwavering support of

our wise leadership, the aviation sector is advancing steadily towards greater growth and prosperity. These positive
indicators highlight the strength of our aviation infrastructure and the effectiveness of integrated efforts by all our

partners — including airports, airlines, and air navigation service providers."

Al Suwaidi added, “We are proud to continue achieving stable growth rates in both passenger and cargo traffic,

supported by ambitious development projects to keep pace with this expansion. The total passenger handling

capacity of the country’s airports now exceeds 160 million, and we are confident that the aviation sector will continue
to play a pivotal role in supporting the national economy, boosting tourism and trade, and reinforcing the UAE’s

position as a leading air transport hub regionally and globally.”

In detail, air traffic in the UAE continued its growth during the first half of the current year, recording 531,000

movements — a 6.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year, which saw nearly 500,000 movements.
Riyadh, Jeddah, Kuwait, Mumbai, and Bahrain ranked as the top five busiest destinations in terms of weekly flights to

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