UAE airlines cease all flights to Saudi Arabia after directive
Saudi ministry earlier imposed travel restrictions for an initial one-week period
Dubai: Etihad Airways is suspending all flights between Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia until further notice, while Emirates said it is doing the same until December 27.
Etihad is doing so "based on the directives of the Saudi authorities to limit the spread of COVID-19,” an airline spokesperson told Gulf News. “The safety of its customers and crew is Etihad's highest priority and we regret any inconvenience the suspension may cause.”
"Due to the closure of borders as directed by the Saudi authorities, Emirates will be suspending flights to and from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia until 27th December," a spokesperson for Emirates said.
Saudi Arabia has suspended all international flights for a week, extendable for another, amid mounting concern over a new strain of COVID-19, an official source at the Saudi Ministry of Interior said. A number of European countries have imposed new travel restrictions and halted flights from and to Britain amid fear of the spread of the new virus strain.