A Guide to Free Shuttle Bus Service Between Dubai Airport and Abu Dhabi Airport
The renowned international airlines, Emirates and Etihad, offer transportation through free shuttle buses between Dubai Airport and Abu Dhabi Airport. All you need to do is book a flight with either of these airlines, departing from or arriving at the Dubai or Abu Dhabi Airport.
In this guide, we cover important points about the shuttle buses operating to and from Dubai and Abu Dhabi Airports. Following are the details:
- Etihad Shuttle Service – Schedule and Booking
- Emirates Shuttle Service – Schedule and Booking
Travelling with Etihad

Passengers who land in Dubai through Etihad Airlines but want to reach Abu Dhabi, can do so for free by using an Etihad coach. Etihad airline offers free passenger transportation via shuttle bus from Dubai to Abu Dhabi Airport and vice versa.
These Etihad buses depart from the parking area behind New Safestway Supermarket located on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, near Al Wasl Centre. From the pickup point, Etihad Coaches transport their passengers directly to Abu Dhabi International Airport.
The one-way travel time from Dubai Airport to Abu Dhabi Airport via Etihad Coach is around 75 minutes.
Schedule
The schedule for different routes is as follows:
From Abu Dhabi International Airport to Al Wasl Centre
COACH NO. | DEPARTURE TIME | ARRIVAL TIME |
---|---|---|
COACH NO. EY 5412 | DEPARTURE TIME 00:05 | ARRIVAL TIME 02:05 |
COACH NO. EY 5414 | DEPARTURE TIME 01:05 | ARRIVAL TIME 03:05 |
COACH NO. EY 5416 | DEPARTURE TIME 03:05 | ARRIVAL TIME 05:05 |
COACH NO. EY 5418 | DEPARTURE TIME 07:20 | ARRIVAL TIME 09:20 |
COACH NO. EY 5420 | DEPARTURE TIME 09:25 | ARRIVAL TIME 11:25 |
COACH NO. EY 5422 | DEPARTURE TIME 14:30 | ARRIVAL TIME 16:30 |
COACH NO. EY 5424 | DEPARTURE TIME 20:00 | ARRIVAL TIME 22:00 |
COACH NO. EY 5426 | DEPARTURE TIME 20:25 | ARRIVAL TIME 22:25 |
COACH NO. EY 5428 | DEPARTURE TIME 21:25 | ARRIVAL TIME 23:25 |
COACH NO. EY 5430 | DEPARTURE TIME 22:15 | ARRIVAL TIME 0:15 |
From Al Wasl Centre to Abu Dhabi International Airport
COACH NO. | DEPARTURE TIME | ARRIVAL TIME |
---|---|---|
COACH NO. EY 5411 | DEPARTURE TIME 04:10 | ARRIVAL TIME 06:10 |
COACH NO. EY 5413 | DEPARTURE TIME 06:05 | ARRIVAL TIME 08:05 |
COACH NO. EY 5415 | DEPARTURE TIME 09:35 | ARRIVAL TIME 11:35 |
COACH NO. EY 5417 | DEPARTURE TIME 11:40 | ARRIVAL TIME 13:40 |
COACH NO. EY 5419 | DEPARTURE TIME 16:35 | ARRIVAL TIME 18:35 |
COACH NO. EY 5421 | DEPARTURE TIME 18:05 | ARRIVAL TIME 20:05 |
COACH NO. EY 5423 | DEPARTURE TIME 19:00 | ARRIVAL TIME 21:00 |
COACH NO. EY 5425 | DEPARTURE TIME 20:40 | ARRIVAL TIME 22:40 |
COACH NO. EY 5427 | DEPARTURE TIME 22:05 | ARRIVAL TIME 00:05 |
COACH NO. EY 5429 | DEPARTURE TIME 23:00 | ARRIVAL TIME 01:00 |
From Abu Dhabi International Airport to Al Ain
COACH NO. | DEPARTURE TIME | ARRIVAL TIME |
---|---|---|
COACH NO. EY 5401 | DEPARTURE TIME 1:05 | ARRIVAL TIME 03:35 |
COACH NO. EY 5403 | DEPARTURE TIME 11:30 | ARRIVAL TIME 14:00 |
COACH NO. EY 5405 | DEPARTURE TIME 14:30 | ARRIVAL TIME 17:00 |
COACH NO. EY 5407 | DEPARTURE TIME 21:25 | ARRIVAL TIME 23:55 |
From Al Ain to Abu Dhabi International Airport
COACH NO. | DEPARTURE TIME | ARRIVAL TIME |
---|---|---|
COACH NO. EY 5400 | DEPARTURE TIME 03:40 | ARRIVAL TIME 06:10 |
COACH NO. EY 5402 | DEPARTURE TIME 09:05 | ARRIVAL TIME 11:35 |
COACH NO. EY 5404 | DEPARTURE TIME 16:05 | ARRIVAL TIME 18:35 |
COACH NO. EY 5406 | DEPARTURE TIME 20:10 | ARRIVAL TIME 22:40 |
Booking Information
Remember to book a spot on the Etihad Coach service online at least 24 hours before travel to enjoy the free service. Otherwise, you will have to pay AED 25 per person to hop on these buses.
Note: The Etihad Coach service can only be availed by passengers who have an incoming or departing flight from Abu Dhabi International Airport on the same day, it cannot be used on any other day.
Travelling with Emirates

The Emirates Shuttle service drops passengers at Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport and leaves for Abu Dubai from the same spot. To board the shuttle bus, the passenger must have a valid ticket for Emirates Airlines.
Let’s first go through the pickup and dropoff locations.
Pickup and Drop‑off Points
Dubai
Drop‑off: Terminal 3, Departure Level, Check‑in area ‑ C.
Pick up: Arrivals Level, last lane opposite Exit 3.
Abu Dhabi
Pick up: In front of Emirates Down Town office ‑ Khalidiya ‑ Corniche.
Al Ain
Pick‑up/drop-off: Al Falah Plaza parking adjacent to Emirates Commercial Complex, Khalifa Street, Al Ain.
The schedule of the Emirates’ free shuttle bus from Abu Dhabi Airport to Dubai Airport is as follows:
Schedule
From Abu Dhabi to Dubai
Departure | Arrival |
---|---|
Departure 03:00 | Arrival 05:15 |
Departure 06:00 | Arrival 08:15 |
Departure 09:30 | Arrival 11:45 |
Departure 16:30 | Arrival 18:45 |
Departure 22:00 | Arrival 23:59 |
From Dubai to Abu Dhabi
Departure | Arrival |
---|---|
Departure 03:00 | Arrival 05:15 |
Departure 06:30 | Arrival 08:45 |
Departure 10:00 | Arrival 12:15 |
Departure 15:00 | Arrival 17:15 |
Departure 23:00 | Arrival 01:15 |
From Dubai to Al Ain
Departure | Arrival |
---|---|
Departure 02:30 | Arrival 04:15 |
From Al Ain to Dubai
Departure | Arrival |
---|---|
Departure 17:00 | Arrival 23:15 |
Booking Information
Contrary to Etihad Coach, people flying through Emirates to Dubai or Abu Dhabi must reserve a seat on the Emirates Shuttle service at least 48 hours before travel.
Note: Emirates Shuttle service can only be availed by passengers of Economy Class or Premium Economy Class of Emirates flights to Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
This is a wrap-up of our guide on the free shuttle bus between Dubai and Abu Dhabi Airports offered by Emirates and Etihad International Airlines. Remember to reserve your seat on the free shuttle service beforehand to save both time and money on private conveyance. You can also use the Abu Dhabi to Dubai bus service to travel between the Emirates at AED 25 only. Once you get to your desired Emirate, you can use the inter-emirate bus service in the UAE to travel around.
Nevertheless, if you are a resident of the UAE who owns a private car and like travelling between the Emirates then you can drive yourself instead of choosing the shuttle service. During frequent visits between Emirates, you can also park your car for long term via Dubai airport car parking. However, if you are living in the UAE and searching for a car then you can find your ideal car from these used cars for sale in the UAE.
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