Etihad Airways says passenger numbers have rebounded from Iran war impact
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Etihad Airways signage at the Chase Sapphire Lounge, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, inside Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York City, U.S., March 2, 2026. REUTERS/Bing Guan
By Federico Maccioni
DUBAI, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Etihad Airways' passenger-carrying capacity is higher than a year ago, its chief executive said on Monday, as Gulf carriers recover from disruption to airlines at the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran that has affected this year's revenue.
At Abu Dhabi-based Etihad, available seat kilometres — the industry's standard measure of passenger-carrying capacity — is 15% to 17% higher than a year ago.
CEO Antonoaldo Neves also said the load factor, which measures how well an airline is filling available seats, was 92% in August. The airline is targeting an 87%-plus load factor for the remainder of the year.
"We are back on track," he said in an interview with Reuters.
The Iran war for weeks disrupted flights in the Middle East and beyond after it began at the end of February, but Middle Eastern carriers, some of the world's biggest, have gradually resumed their activity.
Etihad expects to post flat revenue this year compared to 2025 as a result of the airspace closures in March and April, while profitability is expected to be almost zero.
Neves said disruption to travelling patterns was being also caused by trade disputes and visa restrictions.
"You have a global situation. I mean, the decisions that the U.S. and Canada are taking on visas, it's impacting us here," he said, pointing to lower traffic from India towards Canada and the U.S., including from students.
Neves was upbeat about the upcoming winter season, although he said demand was shifting and more people were making late bookings — echoing similar views from peer Emirates.
He also said the airline was generating cash to invest in the fleet.
Earlier on Monday, Etihad made public a new cabin design across first, business and economy classes for its existing Airbus A321 LR aircraft as well as for its A330s, which Neves said could be delivered in the middle of next year.
(Reporting by Federico Maccioni, Editing by Louise Heavens and Barbara Lewis)
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