Etihad launches January Global Sale with discounts of up to 26pc
Deals span Asia, Europe and long haul routes from Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI – Etihad Airways has opened its 2026 booking season with a Global Sale offering up to 26% off Economy class fares across its international network.
The promotion is available until January 15 and applies to travel between February 5 and September 30, 2026, covering both regional and long haul routes. The airline is positioning the sale as a way for travellers to lock in reduced fares well ahead of peak holiday periods while maintaining full access to its standard Economy cabin services.
The UAE national carrier’s network of 110 destinations is included in the sale, reflecting the scale it has built after a year of rapid growth. From leisure hotspots in Asia to major commercial centres in Europe and North America, the offer gives passengers the opportunity to book 2026 travel at reduced prices while flying through Abu Dhabi, which continues to be developed as both a destination and a global transit hub.
Global deals
Among the destinations featured in the Global Sale are Krabi, Hong Kong and Taipei, along with long haul routes such as Charlotte in the United States. Regional links across Asia and the Middle East are also covered, allowing travellers to combine stopovers in Abu Dhabi with onward journeys. All tickets booked under the promotion come with Etihad’s standard Economy benefits, including inflight dining and the airline’s full onboard service.
The sale runs at a time when Abu Dhabi is being increasingly marketed as more than just a transit point. Growing visitor numbers and expanding hotel capacity have made the capital a more prominent part of Etihad’s route strategy, with the airline using its network to draw holidaymakers into the emirate as well as to move them through it.
Rising capacity
Etihad enters 2026 following a record year of growth. In 2025, the airline carried 22.4 million passengers, its highest annual total on record. That represented a 21% increase compared with the previous year, underlining strong demand across its expanding route map. December was the busiest month of the year, with 2.2 million passengers flying with the carrier, a rise of 28% year on year.
That surge in traffic has been matched by a major increase in fleet size. Over the course of 2025, Etihad added 29 aircraft, bringing its operating fleet to 127. The expanded fleet has allowed the airline to increase frequencies on key routes and open up new connections, supporting its strategy of measured but sustained capacity growth.
Network expansion has also been a central part of that strategy. Etihad’s destination count rose from 94 to 110 during 2025, strengthening direct links between Abu Dhabi and markets across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and selected long haul destinations. This wider reach means more travellers can now fly non stop or with a single connection through the UAE capital, which in turn feeds demand into the airline’s Global Sale.
New routes
Further growth is planned for 2026 as Etihad continues to add new cities to its map. From March, the airline is set to introduce six new destinations, including Baku, Tbilisi, Yerevan and Bucharest, broadening its footprint in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. These routes will complement existing services, including the carrier’s established links to major hubs such as Tokyo, which remains a key part of its Asia network.
The Global Sale therefore arrives at a point when Etihad is offering both a larger fleet and a broader network than ever before. With travel dates extending to the end of September 2026, passengers booking under the promotion are able to plan spring, summer and early autumn trips while benefiting from reduced Economy fares across the airline’s expanding list of destinations.