All Etihad flights to and from Zayed International Airport have been suspended until 2pm on Tuesday March 3, Etihad Airways has announced in a statement. In its latest update the airline said all flights to and from its base in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi, will now remain suspended until tomorrow afternoon.
Etihad, like fellow Gulf airlines Emirates and Qatar Airways, mainly serves long-haul travelers, whose plans have been disrupted by the closure of regional airspace. A total of 539 flights from the UK to the Middle East are expected to be grounded in the seven days from March 1, equating to 180,008 seats, according to flight analytics firm Cirium. From now until Saturday, more than 70 UK flights a day are likely to be cancelled.
Etihad is advising customers to check their flight status before travelling to the airport and ensure their contact details are up to date in their booking.
Passengers on cancelled flights up to March 3 are elgible for a full refund, those who have booked through a travel agent should contact their agent directly.
Guests holding Etihad tickets issued on or before February 28 2026, with original travel dates up to March 7 2026, may rebook free of charge onto Etihad-operated flights up to March 18 2026.
The flight suspensions come as the General Civil Aviation Authority introduced a temporary partial closure of UAE airspace – an exceptional precautionary measure amid “rapidly evolving regional security developments”.
Around 300,000 British nationals are trapped in Gulf Arab states, where much of the airspace is closed, as Iranian strikes continue across the region.
By Monday morning 102,000 Britons – most of them in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – have registered their presence in the Middle East on an online government platform launched after the conflict began on Saturday.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC many of those stranded were holidaymakers, passengers transiting through or people on business visits.
British nationals in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar and United Arab Emirates have been urged to register their presence to receive updates from the Foreign Office.
The country’s second largest airport was ordered into an immediate and total evacuation after an unidentified drone was detected within the facility’s restricted airspace.
All passengers and staff vacated the airport shortly after 12.45 pm (10.45am GMT), airport operations have been temporarily suspended to ensure public safety.
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