Emirates, Etihad grounded

AN OVERNIGHT edict by the rulers of the United Arab Emirates has seen two of the world’s largest international carriers suspend all flights effective from tomorrow night (TD breaking news).

The move came just a day after EK President Tim Clark and his successor Gary Chapman, issued a statement saying the airline would continue to operate passenger flights to Australia “until further notice, as long as borders remain open and there is demand”.

All that changed with the UAE Government directive, which has seen Emirates temporarily suspend all of its passenger flights from 25 Mar, with the measures put in place to contain the spread of COVID-19.

“We hope to resume services as soon as feasible,” the airline said, with the travel ban currently in place for an initial 14 days.

Emirates is not charging noshow fees, and customers who booked with a travel agent are being advised to contact them for further assistance with bookings.

The UAE Government order saw Etihad immediately suspend all transit travel through Abu Dhabi International Airport, meaning passengers booked on connecting flights via AUH to anywhere else on the EY network were not permitted to travel.

Etihad pax who are not travelling to Abu Dhabi are being advised not to go to the airport.

Those with flights scheduled before 30 Jun 2020 can rebook for free to a different destination within a specified zone, or keep the value of tickets as credit.

Flights by all airlines to and from AUH will remain suspended until further notice from UAE regulatory authorities, with cargo and emergency evacuation flights exempt from the suspension.

In addition, only UAE citizens are being permitted entry into Abu Dhabi, effective immediately.