Etihad restoring services following airspace closure due to Iran conflict

• Flights resumed from Abu Dhabi
• Emirates increases flights from Dubai
• Still no flights from Qatar or Bahrain

Etihad Airways will operate a limited number of flights from Abu Dhabi between Friday and March 19 as the Emirati carrier gradually restores services following regional airspace disruptions.

The airline said on Friday it plans to resume flights from the UAE capital to 72 destinations after suspending operations since Saturday, February 28, when Iranian air strikes triggered widespread closures across Middle Eastern airspace.

“Guests with previous bookings will be accommodated on these flights as soon as possible,” Etihad said in a post on X, adding that it would continue to monitor the situation closely and operate services only once safety requirements are met.

Emirates is also ramping up operations in Dubai, with flights departing to 75 destinations across Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Far East, Australasia, West Asia and the Indian Ocean.

Data from Cirium shows that 803 flights, about 22 percent of those scheduled to depart the Middle East on Friday, have been cancelled, the lowest level since the conflict began.

Since Saturday, more than 13,500 flights have been cancelled across the region, representing about 52.7 percent of all scheduled departures during the period.

There are still no services from Qatar or Bahrain.