Etihad Airways Jobs: 7,000 New Roles Planned by 2035
Abu Dhabi’s aviation corridor is gearing up for a substantial workforce expansion as Etihad Airways rolls out its long-term recruitment strategy. Speaking on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market 2026, Dr Nadia Bastaki, chief people, government and corporate affairs officer at Etihad Airways, laid out the carrier’s growth trajectory through the next decade.
The Abu Dhabi-based airline plans to recruit 7,000 new employees by 2035, pushing its total headcount to 22,000. That marks a sharp rise from the roughly 15,000 employees the airline expects to log by the end of this year. Operations are growing at a steady clip of 20 per cent year-on-year, creating immediate demand across multiple departments.
The carrier needs to bring in more than 3,000 new employees throughout 2026 alone. Most of those positions are frontline roles, including pilots, technicians, and engineers.
Hiring has pressed forward even amidst regional conflict. So far this year, the airline has recruited around 1,340 employees, while another 600 sit in the recruitment pipeline. Approximately 300 more are expected to join the company before the close of 2026.
To support domestic talent development, Etihad and the Khalifa University of Science and Technology recently wrapped up a joint internship programme designed to advance Emirati professionals within the aviation sector. The airline pairs these local initiatives with international recruitment campaigns and structured career tracks to build out its workforce for the decade ahead.
