Eithad is following a UAE governmental directive and is preparing to wind-down operations from 25th March 2020.
Etihad Airbus A380 at London Heathrow Airport – Image, Economy Class and Beyond
The airline will suspend all flights to, from, and via Abu Dhabi following a decision by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, and the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), to suspend all inbound, outbound, and transit passenger flights in the UAE.
This decision has been made to limit the spread of the COVID-19/Human Malware/Coronavirus and to protect citizens, residents, and international travellers.
The suspension of flights to and from Abu Dhabi International Airport will commence at 23:59 (UAE Time) on Wednesday 25 March 2020 and will last for an initial 14 days, subject to further directives by the relevant authorities.
Cargo and emergency evacuation flights are exempt and will continue. The airline will announce the resumption of services once restrictions are lifted.
Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said:
“These are unprecedented times and unprecedented decisions are being made by governments, authorities and companies, including Etihad, to contain the spread of the coronavirus and to help minimise its effects around the world.
“We stand with our loyal customers, who are having to endure disruption and inconvenience to their travel and their daily lives, and we dedicate all our efforts and resources to ensuring we do all we can to assist them with their travel planning during this challenging period.
“As the national airline, we stand in full support of the UAE government’s decision, and are confident that we’re well prepared to weather the commercial and operational impact this suspension will have on our services.”
Passengers will be notified if their flights are cancelled. However, in these times – its’s best to check before you set off to the airport if you have a flight booked and you have a valid purpose to travel.
Impacted passengers can head to either https://www.etihad.com/en/travel-updates/covid-19 (English) or https://www.etihad.com/ar/travel-updates/covid-19 (Arabic).
As usual, the lines will be rammed with people who need to get to destinations within the next 48 hours. If you’re not impacted – hold off on contacting them, please.
Source: Etihad
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Etihad grounds its fleet, not “it’s fleet.”
Ah bless. 🙂