Etihad Airways expects delivery of 15 new aircraft by end-2026

Etihad Airways expects to receive 15 new aircraft by year-end as part of its fleet expansion

Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways, said the company expects to take delivery of 15 new aircraft by year-end as part of its fleet expansion plans, having already received five planes since the start of the year.

On the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market 2026 in Dubai, Neves told Asharq Bloomberg that Etihad Airways had originally planned to take delivery of 20 aircraft this year and is committed to this target, despite some delivery delays.

He added the carrier’s capacity rose more than 15% year-on-year, with a load factor of 92%.

Neves noted that Etihad Airways earmarks around $3.5 billion annually for fleet investment, of which $2.5 billion goes toward new aircraft acquisitions and $1 billion is allocated to upgrading existing planes.

Neves expects the company’s results this year will fall short of target levels due to lower business volumes and revenue in March and April, as a result of regional conflict. However, he noted that the company still maintains a strong balance sheet and robust cash flow generation.

He explained that higher fuel prices did not significantly impact results, as fuel price hedging, along with cargo operations, helped offset increased fuel costs.

Neves said intense competition in the Middle East aviation sector makes it harder to pass higher fuel prices on to ticket prices, expecting that airlines will need to see sustained higher fuel prices for a longer period before considering fare hikes.

He added that the situation differs in the cargo segment, where Etihad Airways automatically passes on higher fuel prices to clients in that business.