Zayed International Airport — Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Zayed International Airport serves Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, and functions as the primary hub for Etihad Airways. The airport was renamed from Abu Dhabi International Airport in 2023, honoring Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE's founding father, around the time a major new terminal building opened. The site sits just 88 feet above sea level, and a pair of runways handle heavy long-haul widebody traffic around the clock. As one of the Gulf region's key connecting points, Zayed International links passengers traveling between Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, competing directly with other major Middle Eastern hubs for transfer traffic. The new terminal significantly expanded passenger capacity, reflecting Abu Dhabi's ambitions to grow its role in global aviation alongside its more famous neighbor, Dubai. Cargo operations also form a substantial part of activity here, supporting the emirate's broader trade and logistics economy. With two runways in operation, Zayed International Airport ranks among the busier and more modern airports in the Gulf.