A40

AED 4 gets you from AUH into the city on A40

The A40 public bus runs from Zayed International Airport’s Terminal A into Abu Dhabi city for a flat AED 4, 24 hours a day. It’s the lowest-cost way out of the airport by a long shot compared with taxis that start around AED 70–80 into town.

A40 is a standard city bus, not an airport shuttle, so don’t expect luggage racks or guaranteed seating during peak hours, but the AED 4 fare holds day and night. Services operate 24/7, which covers late Etihad arrivals and early morning departures from Terminal A.

You board A40 from the ground transport area outside Terminal A arrivals; signs point you to the city buses with the route number clearly marked. Paying the AED 4 fare typically means using the local transit card rather than cash, so plan a quick stop at a kiosk or counter in the arrivals hall before you walk out to the stand.

Journey time isn’t fixed for A40, so budget extra: late-night runs can feel quick, but daytime traffic on the main roads into Abu Dhabi can easily double whatever time mapping apps suggest. With a flat AED 4 cost, A40 suits travelers with time to spare more than those chasing a tight check-in cutoff back at Terminal A.

If you’re landing in the middle of the night, A40 still runs on the 24/7 schedule, but intervals can stretch compared with daytime departures, so treat the AED 4 ride as a tradeoff between money saved and minutes lost. For very early flights out of Terminal A, many flyers use A40 inbound, then switch to the Terminal A departures level using the escalators and elevators just above the bus area.

Practical tip: buy or top up a transit card in the Terminal A arrivals area before heading outside; that keeps the AED 4 A40 fare simple and avoids scrambling at the bus door while people are boarding behind you.