A closure of UAE airspace has forced Etihad Airways to ground all outbound flights from Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport, with the suspension running until 2 pm local time on Sunday, March 1.
Inbound services scheduled to land before that deadline have also been cancelled, though flights arriving after 2 pm are expected to proceed depending on operational conditions. Abu Dhabi Airports confirmed that delays, diversions, and cancellations may affect both arriving and departing traffic at the airport as a result of the airspace restriction.
Aircraft already airborne and bound for Abu Dhabi are being turned back to their origin airports where necessary. Passengers caught up in the disruption are being reached directly by the airline, which is arranging rebooking and hotel accommodation as needed.
Travellers with connections routed through Abu Dhabi face a particular complication: Etihad has warned that anyone whose onward flight from the UAE capital has been cancelled will be denied boarding at their departure airport. The airline is urging all affected passengers — whether originating, arriving, or transiting — to verify their flight status on etihad.com and confirm their contact details are current in their booking before heading to any airport.
“The safety of Etihad’s guests and staff is our highest priority,” the airline said, acknowledging the inconvenience caused.
Etihad characterised the situation as fluid and cautioned that further schedule changes remain possible as it continues coordinating with the relevant authorities.
