Covid-19: Etihad, Emirates suspend all flights to and from Saudi Arabia

KARACHI: The authorities of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have suspended the flight movement to and from Saudi Arabia as a precautionary measure against a new Covid-19 variant.

Following the Saudi government’s latest orders to defend against the new mutated strain of the Covid-19 virus, Etihad Airways and Dubai’s Emirates airline said that all flights would be suspended starting from Sunday.

“In line with the latest directive issued by the government of Saudi Arabia, the passenger travel between the UAE and Saudi Arabia has been suspended, effective from 23:00 hours Saudi local time on July 4, 2021, until further notice,” Etihad said in a statement on its website.

Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry suspended the flights to four countries on Saturday, including the UAE, Ethiopia, Vietnam, and Afghanistan with Saudi citizens and residents returning from these countries will be subject to a 14-day quarantine period, the statement added.

Etihad Airways said the situation is still developing and the airline is working with the impacted passengers to update them about their flights, whereas the Emirates announced that the flights to and from Saudi Arabia will be banned until further notice as directed by the General Authority of the Civil Aviation (GACA).

“Customers with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as their final destination, arriving on/after July 5, 2021, will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin,” the Emirates statement added.

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