Abu Dhabi Airport Terminal A: Airlines, Access and Check-in at Zayed International

The short answer: Abu Dhabi's airport has been officially named Zayed International Airport since 9 February 2024, and every airline there, including Etihad, now flies from a single building called Terminal A (also known as the Midfield Terminal). The old Terminals 1, 2 and 3 closed once Terminal A opened in stages from November 2023. It sits about 30 km east of Abu Dhabi city and roughly 125–130 km from Dubai, a drive of about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Etihad runs a free coach from Terminal A to Dubai for its own passengers; everyone else drives, taxis, or checks the current public bus before relying on it.

Most people searching for this are UAE residents who either fly Etihad, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi or another airline that serves Abu Dhabi, or who live in Dubai and are weighing up whether a flight from Zayed International is worth the extra drive compared with DXB. This guide covers what flies from Terminal A, how to reach it from both cities, your check-in options, and how it compares with Dubai's airport for someone who could use either.

Zayed International Airport at a glance

Question	Answer (October 2026)
Official name since	9 February 2024 (previously Abu Dhabi International Airport)
Terminals in use	One: Terminal A (the former Midfield Terminal). Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are closed
Distance from Abu Dhabi city	About 30 km
Distance from Dubai	About 125–130 km; 1h15–1h30 by road
Free transfer to Dubai	Etihad's own coach, for Etihad passengers only, about 75 minutes to a stop in Dubai
Home airline	Etihad Airways
Also based there	Air Arabia Abu Dhabi (Wizz Air Abu Dhabi closed on 1 September 2025)
Not based there	Emirates, flydubai – both fly only from Dubai
Smart Gates (e-gates)	Free for UAE/GCC nationals and UAE residents with an Emirates ID; first-time visitors can pre-register

One airport, one terminal

Terminal A began receiving flights in stages from November 2023, and the airport's official name changed from Abu Dhabi International Airport to Zayed International Airport on 9 February 2024, timed with Terminal A's formal opening ceremony. The old Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are closed; travel guides and the airport's own material are consistent that every passenger flight now goes through Terminal A, so there is no terminal choice to make at this airport – only which of its four piers.

Etihad's own anniversary release puts Terminal A's passenger capacity at up to 45 million a year, and Gulf News reported the building at around 742,000 square metres of built space at its opening. A central hub holding check-in, security, retail and dining branches out into four piers, lettered A to D, each themed to the direction it faces – reported as desert, sea, city and oasis.

Which airlines fly from Terminal A

Since every flight is now at Terminal A, the question that matters is which airlines fly from Abu Dhabi at all, since two of the UAE's biggest carriers do not. Based on Wikipedia's current airline and destination table for Zayed International, checked 9 October 2026, and cross-checked against Etihad's and Gulf News' coverage of the terminal, the carriers UAE residents are most likely to use include:

Airline	Notes
Etihad Airways	Abu Dhabi's own long-haul and regional carrier; the terminal's anchor tenant
Air Arabia (Air Arabia Abu Dhabi)	Low-cost, regional and some longer routes
Air India Express	India
IndiGo	India
Gulf Air	Bahrain
Oman Air	Oman
Pakistan International Airlines	Pakistan
Qatar Airways	Via Doha
Saudia	Saudi Arabia
Turkish Airlines	Via Istanbul
US-Bangla Airlines	Bangladesh
Jazeera Airways	Kuwait

Two carriers are conspicuously absent: Emirates and flydubai, Dubai's own airlines, do not fly to Abu Dhabi at all. If your ticket is with either of them, you need Dubai International (DXB), whichever city you live in – see our Dubai Airport terminals guide for that side of things.

The reverse is also true. Full-service Air India (as opposed to its low-cost arm, Air India Express), SriLankan Airlines, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Kuwait Airways and Airblue all appear in Dubai Airports' own directory for DXB, but not in Zayed International's airline list. If you are flying one of these, Terminal A is not an option regardless of which city is closer to you.

Getting to Zayed International from Abu Dhabi city

Abu Dhabi Mobility (formerly the Integrated Transport Centre) runs bus routes A1 and A2 to the airport around the clock. Public bus fares across Abu Dhabi are standardised at a Dh2 base fare plus 5 fils a kilometre, capped at Dh5 for a single trip; you pay by tapping a Hafilat smart card on boarding and alighting, since the buses do not take cash. The card itself costs AED 10 and, per Abu Dhabi Mobility's own page, stays valid for 16 years. The Darb app gives live routes and timings for both buses.

A metered taxi is the other option: official Abu Dhabi rates start at Dh12 plus roughly Dh1.80 a kilometre, and a trip into the city centre typically takes 30–45 minutes depending on traffic and your destination.

Getting to Zayed International from Dubai

If you are flying Etihad, the airline runs a free coach between Terminal A and Dubai, with more than ten departures a day and a journey time of about 75 minutes. Etihad has moved the Dubai stop more than once over the years, so check the pick-up point on its booking page when you reserve. It has to be booked at least 24 hours ahead through Etihad, not arranged at the airport, and it is open only to passengers holding a confirmed Etihad ticket.

For everyone else, the picture is less settled. Dubai's RTA has run an intercity bus numbered E102 linking Dubai with the Zayed International area, historically priced at around AED 25, but recent guides disagree on exactly where it starts in Dubai and whether it still calls at the airport; one source we found claims the route was discontinued in June 2026, while RTA's own website showed no current content for its intercity bus listings when we checked on 9 October 2026. If you are not flying Etihad and were planning around this bus, confirm its current status on rta.ae or through the Wojhati app before you travel, rather than relying on this or any other article.

A taxi or private transfer covers the roughly 125–130 km in about 1h15 to 1h30, and online transfer guides put a one-way metered fare at somewhere between AED 250 and AED 360, depending on traffic, time of day and your exact pick-up point. A licensed taxi runs on its meter, so there is no need to agree a fare in advance. If you are driving yourself, the E11 and E10 corridors connect both cities, and car rental desks are inside Terminal A.

Check-in options

Etihad's own check-in page states that online check-in opens 30 hours before departure.

Morafiq, Etihad's off-airport check-in partner, runs a city check-in desk inside the Etihad Airways Ticketing Office on Muroor Road, opposite Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre, open daily from 10am to 10pm, for passengers of Etihad and several other airlines, including Air Arabia, IndiGo and EgyptAir. Other Morafiq sites have included the Mina Cruise Terminal (open 24 hours) and locations in Mussafah and Al Ain. Bag drop runs from 24 hours down to 4 hours before departure, and the reported fee is Dh35 for an adult, Dh25 for a child aged 12 or under, and Dh15 for an infant under two.

Morafiq also offers home check-in: an agent checks in everyone travelling at your home, hotel or office in Abu Dhabi, prints boarding passes and bag tags, and takes the luggage ahead. It has to be booked at least a day before departure, and reported prices run from about AED 185 to AED 220 for up to four bags – confirm the current figure when you book, since the two sources we checked did not fully agree. Passengers who use it can go through security without their bags, which are waiting at the destination baggage carousel.

At the airport itself, Etihad advises arriving at least four hours before departure during busy periods. Standard economy check-in on non-US flights closes an hour before departure, and Business and First Class counters stay open until 45 minutes before departure.

Facilities at Terminal A

The central hub holds check-in, security and the first layer of shops and restaurants, with the four piers fanning out beyond it. Reported figures put retail space at around 18,000 square metres and dining at about 10,000, with a further 27,500 square metres split between lounges and a transit hotel. Several guides also describe self-service options covering check-in, bag drop, e-gates and boarding, backed by facial recognition at a number of checkpoints, along with a children's play area and a spa.

Smart Gates at Zayed International

UAE and GCC nationals and UAE residents can use the biometric e-gates with an Emirates ID, as at other UAE airports. First-time visitors can pre-register their passport, face and fingerprints through the ICP's UAE Smart Gate service, sometimes marketed as UAE Fast Track, before they arrive, which then lets them clear most airport checkpoints without presenting a passport or boarding pass at every stop. Dubai's own Smart Gates PreCheck tool, reached through the Pocket Flights platform, covers only DXB and DWC, not Zayed International, so do not expect it to confirm your eligibility here.

Zayed International or DXB: which to use if you live in Dubai

For most Dubai residents, DXB stays the obvious choice. Emirates and flydubai alone cover a far larger network than anything based in Abu Dhabi, and the airport sits inside the city rather than 1h15–1h30 away.

Zayed International is worth the extra drive when your flight is specifically on Etihad, which runs its own long-haul network to places Emirates does not always serve on the same day or at the same fare; on Air Arabia Abu Dhabi; or when a fare or schedule from Abu Dhabi clearly beats what Dubai offers on a route both airports share, such as Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Gulf Air, Oman Air, Saudia or IndiGo.

It is not an option at all if your ticket is with an airline that only serves DXB – full-service Air India, SriLankan Airlines, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Kuwait Airways or Airblue, none of which appear on Zayed International's airline list.

Either way, build the transfer into your plans: Etihad's free coach, for Etihad passengers only, takes about 75 minutes each way, and a round-trip taxi adds roughly AED 500–700 and two and a half to three hours to your day compared with a short Metro or taxi ride to DXB.

Frequently asked questions

What is Abu Dhabi's airport called now?

Zayed International Airport, officially renamed from Abu Dhabi International Airport on 9 February 2024, timed with the formal opening of Terminal A.

Do all airlines in Abu Dhabi now use Terminal A?

Yes. Terminal A, also called the Midfield Terminal, opened in stages from November 2023 and replaced the airport's old Terminals 1, 2 and 3, which are now closed.

How do I get from Dubai to Zayed International Airport?

If you are flying Etihad, its free coach takes about 75 minutes from its stop in Dubai, but you must book a seat at least 24 hours ahead. Otherwise it is a taxi or your own car, roughly 125–130 km and 1h15–1h30 by road; check rta.ae before relying on a public bus, since the route and its current status were unclear when we checked.

Can I check in before I reach the airport?

Etihad's online check-in opens 30 hours before departure. Morafiq, Etihad's partner, also runs a city check-in desk on Muroor Road and a home check-in service in Abu Dhabi, for a fee, covering Etihad and several other airlines, including Air Arabia, IndiGo and EgyptAir.

Does Emirates fly from Abu Dhabi's airport?

No. Emirates and flydubai both fly only from Dubai International (DXB), not from Zayed International. If your ticket is with either airline, you need Dubai's airport regardless of which city you live in.

Is it worth flying from Abu Dhabi instead of Dubai?

Mainly if your airline is based there – Etihad or Air Arabia Abu Dhabi – or if a fare or schedule on a shared carrier such as Qatar Airways or Turkish Airlines is clearly better from Abu Dhabi. For everything else, DXB is closer and has the wider choice.

Flying from either airport, we can still help

We do not handle check-in at either airport, but we can help with everything around the trip. If the flight needs a visa, see our visa services for 57 countries, or UAE visa services if it is the other way round and you are sponsoring a visit. If the trip is a holiday rather than a one-off flight, see our holiday packages. WhatsApp us on +971 4 589 0001 or use our contact page, or visit us at Shop #35, Wilson Building, 2nd December Street, Al Jaffliya, Dubai.

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Last checked 9 October 2026 against Etihad's check-in, coach-service and news pages, Zayed International Airport's own website, Abu Dhabi Mobility's Hafilat smart card page, Wikipedia's current Zayed International Airport entry for its airline and destination table, Gulf News' and AGBI's coverage of Terminal A's opening, and Dubai Airports' airline directory for comparison. Routes, fares, bus schedules and check-in fees change; confirm the current position with your airline or the airport before you travel.