Etihad cancelled Bahrain morning flight after Abu Dhabi service turns back
Flight EY647 returned to Abu Dhabi before both scheduled Bahrain services were cancelled
Dubai: An Etihad Airways flight from Abu Dhabi to Bahrain was forced to return to Abu Dhabi in the early hours of Thursday morning, prompting the airline to cancel two scheduled services between the two countries.
Flight EY647, which departed Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport for Bahrain International Airport on July 16, turned back after the airport in Bahrain suffered disruptions as the US-Iran war escalates.
Following the disruption, Etihad cancelled both the outbound EY647 service from Abu Dhabi to Bahrain and the return EY648 flight from Bahrain to Abu Dhabi scheduled for the same day.
The Abu Dhabi-based carrier said in an operations update that it is monitoring the situation and will continue providing updates to affected passengers.
Etihad apologised for the disruption, saying the "safety and comfort of our guests and crew are our number one priority."
However, Etihad typically operates up to five non-stop flights each day in both directions between Abu Dhabi and Bahrain, although schedules vary depending on the season and day of the week. According to Etihad’s booking platform, the remaining flights for the day will operate as scheduled.
The disruption comes as regional aviation continues to feel the effects of the escalating conflict involving Iran, the US and Israel, with several airlines adjusting operations across the Middle East.
What happened?
According to flight tracking data from Flightradar24, a number of flights operating to and from Bahrain were affected in the early hours of July 16. A Fly Jinnah flight was diverted to Dammam, while an Air India service from Kozhikode was delayed.
Bahrain's Interior Ministry said it had activated warning sirens and urged citizens and residents to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place.
The latest disruption adds to a growing list of flight delays, diversions and cancellations across the region as airlines continue to adjust operations in response to the evolving security situation.
The UAE has strongly condemned the renewed hostile attacks by Iran targeting Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan.
The 2026 Iran War has drastically escalated following the complete collapse of the mid-June interim ceasefire agreement.
Hostilities reignited after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting US President Donald Trump to declare the peace memorandum void, reinstate a strict naval blockade on Iranian ports, and launch massive multi-wave airstrikes.
