By:Zawya

Etihad Airways CEO Antonoaldo Neves has said that the decision regarding the IPO will be finalised by its shareholder, with many speculating that an announcement will be made this quarter.

Talks about the IPO of the Abu Dhabi carrier, owned by sovereign investor ADQ, have been widespread in the market, but the airline has not confirmed a timeline.

Speaking at the Arabian Travel Market conference in Dubai, Neves said Etihad is moving ahead with a progressive growth strategy, despite market volatility stemming from US tariffs and fluctuating oil prices. Last year, the airline revealed a $7 billion investment plan over the next five years to double the size of its fleet by 2030.

“This year, we expect a growth between 15% to 20%, and very soon, we are going to have 100 planes in our fleet, with 20 to 22 aircraft to be added this year,” Neves said. “Over the next few years, we will add 20 planes per year to reach our planned fleet capacity of 170 aircraft and 30 to 33 million passengers by 2030.”

Etihad, which debuted its Airbus A321LR aircraft at the ATM in a bid to deliver “wide-body comfort on short and medium-haul routes”, also has plans to invest further in its first and business class segments as part of its growth.