Abu Dhabi Airport Bus: A1 Timings and Fare

The A1 is the main bus between Abu Dhabi city and the airport, running 24 hours a day for AED 4 a journey. It takes about 40 to 45 minutes and departs roughly every 30 minutes, dropping to hourly overnight. Payment is by Hafilat card only. One thing to check before you board: all flights now use Zayed International Airport, Terminal A, and the old terminals are closed to passengers.

The Terminal A change

Start here, because a lot of published information is out of date. Abu Dhabi’s passenger flights have moved to Zayed International Airport and operate from Terminal A. The old Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are closed for passenger flights.

Item	Detail
Current passenger terminal	Terminal A, Zayed International Airport
Old terminals 1, 2 and 3	Closed for passenger flights
What to check	That your bus is signed for Terminal A
Why it matters	Older guides and signage still reference the old terminals

Some route descriptions, including older listings for the A1, still name Terminal 2 as the destination. Treat that as legacy information and confirm the bus you board is going to Terminal A. If in doubt, ask at the station rather than assuming the route number alone is enough.

Abu Dhabi airport bus routes

Several routes serve the airport, with the A1 being the one most travellers use.

Route	Serves	Notes
A1	City Air Terminal to the airport	The main service, around 33 stops
A2	Airport service	Also runs around the clock
A10	Airport service	An additional airport route
N2	Night service	Overnight coverage

The A1 starts from the City Air Terminal on Street 2, which is the natural pickup point if you are staying on Abu Dhabi island. With around 33 stops along the way it is not an express, but it is direct enough that the journey stays under 45 minutes.

The buses are air conditioned and luggage friendly, which matters on an airport run and is not true of every city bus.

Timings and frequency

Like Dubai’s C1, the Abu Dhabi airport routes run around the clock, which is exactly what an airport service needs.

Item	Detail
Service hours	24 hours a day, seven days a week
Daytime frequency	About every 30 minutes
Late night frequency	Reduces to about hourly
Journey time	About 40 to 45 minutes

The overnight drop to hourly is the detail worth planning around. A 30-minute wait in the afternoon is trivial, but an hour at 03:00 with a flight to catch is not. If your flight is in the small hours, work backwards from the departure time and allow for a full hour of waiting on top of the 45-minute journey.

It is worth putting the airport bus alongside the alternatives before dismissing it. A taxi from Abu Dhabi city to the airport runs into many times the AED 4 bus fare, and a private transfer more again. For a solo traveller with a single bag and no hard deadline, the bus is the obvious choice. For a family of four arriving at 02:00 with luggage and a hotel to reach, the calculation changes, and the hourly overnight frequency is the reason why.

Fare and the Hafilat card

At AED 4 the airport bus is remarkably cheap, and far below any taxi fare for the same trip.

Item	Detail
Single journey	AED 4 per person
Payment	Hafilat card required
Nol card	Not accepted in Abu Dhabi
Where to buy Hafilat	Any Abu Dhabi bus station
Tapping	Tap in and tap out on every journey

The Hafilat requirement is the thing that catches out visitors arriving from Dubai with a Nol card in their pocket. The two systems are entirely separate, and Abu Dhabi additionally requires you to tap out at the end of your journey. Pick up a Hafilat card at any Abu Dhabi bus station. The full card comparison is in our UAE bus timings guide.

Coming from Dubai

Plenty of people fly out of Abu Dhabi while based in Dubai, and the trip is entirely doable by bus if you allow enough time.

• Take the E100 or E101 from Dubai to Abu Dhabi Central, around 90 minutes for AED 25.
• Connect onto an airport route for the final leg, about 45 minutes for AED 4.
• Budget close to three hours in total, including the connection.
• Carry both a Nol card for the Dubai leg and a Hafilat for the Abu Dhabi leg.

Around AED 29 total for a Dubai to Abu Dhabi airport transfer is a fraction of the taxi fare, but the three-hour journey and two-card requirement make it a plan for the unhurried rather than the last minute. The Dubai leg is covered in our Dubai to Abu Dhabi bus timings guide.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the bus to Abu Dhabi airport?

The A1 costs AED 4 per person for a single journey, paid with a Hafilat card. Nol cards are not accepted in Abu Dhabi, so pick up a Hafilat at any Abu Dhabi bus station before travelling.

Does the Abu Dhabi airport bus run at night?

Yes, the airport routes run 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Frequency is about every 30 minutes during the day but drops to roughly hourly late at night, so allow extra waiting time for an early morning flight.

Which terminal does the airport bus go to?

Terminal A at Zayed International Airport, which now handles all passenger flights. The old Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are closed to passengers, though some older route listings still name them, so confirm your bus is signed for Terminal A.

How long does the Abu Dhabi airport bus take?

About 40 to 45 minutes on the A1, which makes it the fastest public transport option to the airport. The route has around 33 stops but stays direct enough to keep the journey under three quarters of an hour.

Last verified: October 2026 against current route information. Note that passenger flights have moved to Terminal A, so older route listings naming Terminals 1 to 3 are out of date.
Written by Roman Shah · Reviewed by the UAEexplained editorial team
Source: Abu Dhabi Mobility, the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC)
Spotted a timing that has changed? Tell us here and we will re-check it.