Cheap flights from London to Abu Dhabi

March is the cheapest month on this route, and it falls at the end of the cool season in Abu Dhabi, when the days are still comfortable. Fares climb through the summer, when the heat in the Emirates peaks and school holidays push demand up. Midweek departures from Heathrow or Gatwick usually cost less than weekend ones. For spring and winter travel, book a few months ahead and watch the price calendar, because Ramadan and the Eid periods shift demand and the days around them move fast.

Nobody flies this route non-stop, so every option is a connection, and the airline you choose decides where you change planes. Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian and Saudi Arabian Airlines are full-service, so bags and meals come with the fare and the stop sits in Doha, Amman or Jeddah. The low-cost side is Wizz Air, Wizz Air UK, Wizz Air Malta, Pegasus, Easyjet, Jet2 and Sun Express: you pay for a seat and add cabin bags, checked luggage and seat choice on top. If you join two separate tickets, you collect your bags in between and carry the risk of a missed connection yourself.

Abu Dhabi International is the only airport serving the city, so there is no second arrival point to weigh up — every flight from London lands there. It sits outside the city rather than in it, so plan a taxi or a bus for the last stretch into the centre, and allow time for immigration, which slows down when several long-haul arrivals land together. Check whether your hotel runs an airport shuttle before you book a transfer, and keep the airport name in mind if your onward ticket is separate.

Currency

AED (DH)

Power sockets

Type C, G · 220 V

Language

Arabic

Emergency number

112, 997, 998

Driving side

right

Calling code

+971

Internet domain

.ae, .امارات

Population of Abu Dhabi

1.6 M (2023)

Time zone

UTC+04 (Asia/Dubai)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Pick your London airport first: Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted and London City all serve this route and rarely price the same.
• Check baggage on the low-cost carriers, where the fare often covers a cabin bag and nothing else.
• On separate tickets you collect and re-check your bags, so leave a generous gap between flights.
• Confirm passport and visa rules for the United Arab Emirates before you book anything.
• Compare March against the summer months on the price calendar before you fix your dates.