Zayed International Airport pick-ups, step by step.

One terminal for every flight

Zayed International Airport is Abu Dhabi’s main airport, still coded AUH. Its Terminal A opened in November 2023, and within a couple of weeks every passenger flight had moved there, leaving one terminal for all airlines. In February 2024 the airport, until then Abu Dhabi International, took the name Zayed International. If an older booking or a hotel email mentions Terminal 1 or Terminal 3, it now means Terminal A — and everything in this Zayed International Airport pick-up guide applies there.

Terminal A is the home of Etihad Airways and handles every other passenger airline too, so the arrival routine is the same whichever carrier you fly.

From the aircraft to the arrivals hall

After landing, you pass through immigration — eligible passengers can use the smart gates — then collect your bags in the reclaim hall and walk through customs into the public arrivals hall. How long that takes depends on the time of day and how many flights have landed together: anything from around half an hour to well over an hour at the busiest times.

There is no need to message anyone the moment you land. If we are collecting you, we are already following the flight, and your chauffeur will be in place before you reach the hall.

Where your chauffeur waits at Zayed International

Your chauffeur waits in the public arrivals hall, after customs, holding a board with the name you gave us — for groups, the group or company name. Some airlines and premium services have their own chauffeur areas closer to the baggage hall; those are for the airline’s own service. Unless we have agreed something different with you in writing, look for us in the public hall. If you cannot see your chauffeur straight away, stay inside near the exit from customs rather than going out to the kerb; the chauffeur will find you.

Once you meet, the chauffeur takes the trolley and walks you to the vehicle in the terminal car park, where it has been kept cool. Airport parking is included in your quote, so there is nothing to pay on the way out.

What to send us before you fly

A few details make the pick-up effortless. Add them in the notes on the booking page:

• Flight number and date — the scheduled time is enough, as we track changes
• The name for the board, and the lead passenger’s mobile number
• The number of passengers and bags, including pushchairs, golf bags or sports equipment
• Child seats needed, with the children’s ages
• Any help needed with mobility, and whether the airline is providing assistance through the terminal
• Your destination address or hotel name, plus any stops on the way

Arriving with children

Child seats are fitted before your chauffeur leaves for the airport, so the right seat is ready when you reach the vehicle — tell us each child’s age when you book. Pushchairs fold into the luggage space, and the sliding doors of the Mercedes V-Class make it far easier to settle a sleeping toddler. If you are travelling with a baby, mention it and the cabin will be cooled to a comfortable temperature rather than an icy one.

Which vehicle for an airport pick-up

Choose by people and bags. The luxury sedan takes up to four passengers and three medium suitcases, the luxury SUV six and five, the V-Class seven and six, and the Sprinter up to sixteen with around twelve. Long-haul travellers usually carry more than they expect, so if in doubt, size up — the booking form greys out anything too small for the numbers you enter.

Delays, early landings and lost bags

Because we follow your flight, the chauffeur’s arrival moves with it: an early landing will not leave you waiting, and a late one will not leave you without a car. If something holds you up after landing — a long immigration queue or a missing suitcase — your chauffeur stays in the arrivals hall. The waiting time included is written on your quote, and any extra waiting is charged at the rate shown there, so there are no surprises.

If your bag has not arrived, report it at the airline’s baggage desk before leaving the reclaim hall; it is much harder to do once you are through customs. Your chauffeur will wait while you complete the paperwork.

Group and VIP arrivals

For delegations, wedding parties and conference groups landing on several flights, we work from a manifest. Vehicles are matched to each flight, a coordinator can meet the group in the hall, and larger parties walk together to a Sprinter or coach. Honoured guests can be collected from Zayed International’s private terminal instead of the main hall. See delegation transport for how we plan official visits, and ADNEC exhibition shuttles for conference arrivals.

Stopovers and long connections

If you are connecting through Abu Dhabi with a long layover and are allowed to enter the UAE on your passport, a chauffeur can turn the wait into a short visit — the Grand Mosque, the Corniche or a hotel for a few hours’ rest. Check the entry rules for your nationality first, and allow generously for immigration on the way out and for check-in and security on the way back. We plan the return to Terminal A with the same care as any departure.

Departures from Terminal A

For your flight home, your chauffeur drops you at the departures kerb and helps with the bags onto a trolley. Arrive at the airport as early as your airline recommends; we suggest a pick-up time that allows for the drive and the traffic at that hour. Families with a lot of luggage, and groups checking in together, should leave a little extra margin for the queues.

If you are flying from Dubai rather than Abu Dhabi, see our Abu Dhabi to DXB transfer — the planning is similar, but the drive is around an hour and a half.

Journey times from Zayed International

Approximate times in normal traffic:

• Yas Island: around 10–15 minutes — see AUH to Yas Island
• Saadiyat Island: around 20–25 minutes
• Al Maryah Island, Al Reem Island and the Corniche: around 30–35 minutes
• Dubai Marina: around 1 hour 15 minutes — see AUH to Dubai
• Al Ain: around 1 hour 30 minutes — see Abu Dhabi to Al Ain
• Ruwais: around 2 hours 15 minutes — see Abu Dhabi to Ruwais

Every transfer is quoted in writing, with airport parking, Darb tolls and waiting time included. Read more about our Zayed International airport transfers, or the Darb toll guide if you are driving yourself.

Related: Airport Transfers · AUH to Yas Island · AUH to Dubai · Delegation transport · Book online