Etihad Airways suspends Abu Dhabi departures until March 1

Dubai: UAE's national airline has announced a temporary suspension of departures from Abu Dhabi.

All Etihad flights scheduled to depart Zayed International Airport are suspended until 2 pm UAE time on Sunday, March 1.

Flights scheduled to arrive in Abu Dhabi before 2 pm UAE time on Sunday will be cancelled. Services due to arrive after that time are expected to operate, subject to operational conditions.

The airline said flights already en route to Abu Dhabi are returning to their origin airports where required.

Affected passengers are being contacted directly and are being supported with rebooking options and hotel accommodation where necessary.

Etihad strongly advises passengers travelling to, from or through Abu Dhabi to check their flight status at etihad.com before leaving for the airport and to ensure their contact details are up to date in their booking.

The airline also warned that guests connecting via Abu Dhabi will not be permitted to board at their departure airport if their onward sector has been cancelled.

Etihad described the situation as fluid and said further adjustments may be required. The airline added that it continues to coordinate closely with the relevant authorities and will resume normal operations as soon as conditions permit.

“The safety of Etihad’s guests and staff is our highest priority,” the carrier said, apologising for the disruption.

Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi Airports has announced that some inbound and outbound flights at Zayed International Airport (AUH) may experience delays, diversions, or cancellations due to the temporary closure of UAE airspace.

This is a rapidly evolving situation. Refresh for updates.