Etihad Airways has announced further service reductions and suspensions in the wake of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
The airline will temporarily adjust the following services from Abu Dhabi:
Asia-Pacific
- Hong Kong (HKG): All flights suspended until June 30
- Seoul (ICN): Reduced from daily to four weekly (on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays) from March 30 to April 30
- Bangkok (BKK): Reduced from triple daily to double daily (with the suspension of EY406/405) from March 21 to May 2
- Jakarta (CGK): Reduced from double daily to daily (with the suspension of EY472/471) from March 18 until June 30
Europe
- Milan (MXP): All flights suspended until April 30
- Rome (FCO): EY86/86 suspended until April 30; EY83/84 suspended until June 30
- Madrid (MAD) and Barcelona (BCN): All flights suspended from March 17 until March 31
Middle East
- Beirut (BEY): All flights suspended from March 16 until March 31
- Istanbul (IST): All flights suspended from March 16 until March 31
- Amman (AMM): All flights suspended from March 17 until March 31
Africa
- Casablanca (CMN) and Rabat (RBA): All flights suspended from March 16 until March 31
The airline added that its previously announced network changes remain in place. Affected routes include:
Asia-Pacific
- Shanghai (PVG): All flights suspended until March 28
- Chengdu (CTU): All flights suspended until further notice
- Nagoya (NGO, via Beijing): All flights suspended until June 30
Middle East
- Riyadh (RUH), Jeddah (JED), Dammam (DMM) and Medina (MED): All flights suspended from March 16 until March 31
- Kuwait (KWI): All flights suspended until March 31
- Bahrain (BAH): Reduced from triple daily to double daily until March 31
- Muscat (MCT): Reduced from triple daily to double daily until March 31
According to the airline, it still continues to operate daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Beijing, as well as flights between Abu Dhabi and Bangkok and Phuket. However, the airline said passengers travelling on these flights will be subject to additional screening upon arrival in Abu Dhabi.
The UAE flag carrier said future changes to the route network may occur due to “government directives in key markets”.
It added that for affected passengers, procedures are “in place” for fare refunds or for flight changes when services resume.
The airline is urging guests whose flights are impacted by the Covid-19 travel restrictions to refrain from calling the airline’s customer service lines “unless their flights are scheduled within the next 48 hours”, because its contact centres are currently experiencing “significant congestion and long waits”.
The airline said its “immediate priority is to assist those guests with imminent travel”.
It added that those who booked tickets through travel agents should contact their respective travel agents directly for any changes or cancellations.
In other news, Etihad plans to shift its Abu Dhabi-Beijing and Beijing-Nagoya service to the new Beijing Daxing International Airport starting June 1 this year.
It’ll also launch a new route to Vienna from Abu Dhabi starting May 22 this year.
