United Arab Emirates’ flag carrier Etihad Airways just released its traffic statistics for October 2024, presenting proof of its continued strong performance. 

The airline welcomed 1.6 million guests during the month, achieving a notable average passenger load factor of 87 percent.

According to Etihad CEO Antonoaldo Neves: “Our passenger numbers in October saw significant growth compared to the same period last year, highlighting our continuing upwards momentum.

Neves added that, year-to-date, Etihad welcomed more than 15 million passengers, marking a substantial 34 percent increase from the previous year. 

As of last month, the airline’s rolling 12-month passenger total stands at 17.8 million, a 73 percent increase on the figure for the whole of 2022. 

This indicates that Etihad is on track to double passenger numbers in under two years.

Increasing capacity 

Neves said: “Our capacity continues to grow, and it is pleasing to see we maintained our robust passenger load factor of 87 percent year-to-date, as well as announcing another exciting new route to Al Alamein, Egypt from summer 2025.

The continued year-on-year growth of Etihad’s fleet has bolstered Abu Dhabi’s reputation as a global aviation hub and a major destination for tourists from around the world, further helped along by the airline’s route expansion.

It should also be noted that Etihad’s growth was also helped along by its reintroduction of a fifth A380 last month.