Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways is considering deferring its $1 billion IPO to the first quarter of 2026, allowing the UAE airline to capitalise on its recent partnerships, a source with knowledge of the matter told Zawya.
These agreements include a JV with Ethiopia inked in March and another with China Eastern Airlines in April. The carrier has also accelerated its network expansion after the announcement of Wizz Air’s decision to cease operations in Abu Dhabi from September 1.
“Etihad has done well signing JVs with partner airlines this year, and it now needs to deliver on these for its investors. While coming to market is not an issue, it just makes better business sense to push the IPO to early 2026,” the source said.
Etihad is fully owned by the UAE wealth fund ADQ, and the airline’s CEO, Antonoaldo Neves, has maintained that the decision to go public ultimately lies with its shareholder.
Zawya reached out to Etihad, but no comment was available at the time of publication.
The imposition of US-led tariffs, followed by a sudden flare-up in Middle Eastern tensions, had given markets pause, but Etihad’s decision to defer its listing from H1 2025 was largely led by its growth strategy, the source said.
“Etihad is a national airline, with a shareholder that is not value sensitive. It wants to go public when there’s a clearer story to map out its growth. You want to bring it [IPO] at the most opportune time, with market conditions that are 100% and will benefit the decision,” two banking sources familiar with the matter said.
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