Israel-Iran clash: Etihad Airways not accepting transit passengers of cancelled flights
The UAE national carrier Etihad Airways on Friday said it will not accept transit passengers to cancelled flights.
Etihad and other local carriers Emirates and flydubai announced the cancellation, rerouting and delaying flights due to the Israel-Iran war, which is spreading into a regional conflict.
'Guests transiting through Abu Dhabi to connect to cancelled flights will not be accepted for travel from their point of origin… 'Impacted guests are being assisted with alternative travel arrangements,' the Abu Dhabi-based airline said in a statement to Khaleej Times on Friday.
Etihad earlier announced cancelling EY595 / EY596, EY593 / EY594, and EY597 flights to Tel Aviv and extended the delay of EY590 from Amman (AMM) to Abu Dhabi (AUH).
It also warned that some of the flights that are subject to schedule to operate EY595 / EY596 between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv are currently scheduled to operate but may be subject to delay.
After the Israel-Iran conflict, countries closed their airspace including Iran, Iraq, Jordan and Syria for the safety of commercial flights. Israel attacked Iran with 200 aircraft in the wee hours on Friday, targeting the Persian country's nuclear, military and missile sites.
'In addition, Etihad is re-routing a number of flights in response to restricted airspace in parts of the Middle East,' it said.
'This remains a developing situation and is likely to cause some disruption and delays over the coming days. Etihad is continuously monitoring airspace and security updates in close coordination with the relevant authorities,' it said.
Travellers are advised to check the latest flight status at the airline's website or mobile app.
'The safety of our guests and crew remains our highest priority, and we regret any inconvenience caused.'
Earlier, Emirates said it is 'closely monitoring the situation' and making all efforts to ensure minimal disruption to customers while assisting impacted passengers.
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