Zayed International Airport

Zayed International Airport is the UAE's second-largest airport and Etihad Airways' home base, linking more than 120 destinations with over 30 airlines. It was renamed in honour of Sheikh Zayed in 2024, so older tickets, signs and maps may still say Abu Dhabi International — it is the same airport. It sits roughly 30 km east of the city centre, between Abu Dhabi island and the Yas / Saadiyat islands.

Since November 2023 essentially all passenger flights use one enormous building, Terminal A — built for 45 million passengers a year and 11,000 an hour, with 163 shops and restaurants across 35,000 m². It is one of the largest terminals in the world, so the walk from security to a far gate can take 15–20 minutes; keep an eye on the screens rather than settling into duty free. Terminal A also runs all nine biometric touchpoints ('Smart Travel'), so your face can stand in for passport and boarding pass at check-in, bag drop, immigration and the gate.

Getting to and from the city: bus A1 runs 24/7 to Al Zahiyah in the centre for about AED 4, but you need a Hafilat card from the machines by the stop — drivers take no cash. Taxis queue outside arrivals. For Dubai, the hourly Airport Express to Ibn Battuta Bus Station takes about 90 minutes, with tickets sold at a counter in the arrivals hall. One thing to plan for: AUH has US pre-clearance, so if you are flying to the United States you complete American immigration in Abu Dhabi and land as a domestic arrival — budget extra time before departure.